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A  PKACTICAL 

COMMENTARY  ON  HOLY  SCRIPTURE. 

VOI.  I. 


A  PRACTICAL  COMMENTARY 

ON 

HOLY  SCRIPTURE 

FOR  THE  USE  OF  CATECHISTS  AND  TEACHERS 


BY  FREDERICK  JUSTUS  KNECHT,  DD., 

AUXILIARY  BISHOP  OF  THE  ARCHDIOCESE  OF  FREIBURG. 


TRANSLATED   FROM   THE   TENTH    GERMAN   EDITION. 


Preface   by   Rev.  Michael   F.  Glance y, 

INSPECTOR  OF  SCHOOLS  IN  THE  DIOCESE  OF  BIRMINGHAM. 


WITH  THE   APPROBATION   AND   RECOMMENDATION   OF  HIS  EMINENCE   THE  MOST  REV. 

CARDINAL-ARCHBISHOP   OF   WESTMINSTER   AND    OF   THEIR   LORDSHIPS   THE   RIGHT 

REV.  BISHOPS   OF   BELLEVILLE   AND   BIRMINGHAM. 


CONTAINING  108  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  TWO  COLOURED  MAPS. 


FIRST   VOLUME. 
THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


B.  HERDER, 

17    South   Broadway, 

St.  Louis,  Mo. 


e?«5^^ 


ALL   EIGHTS   RESERVED. 


ICAK  STACSP 


B.  HERDER,  Printer,  Freiburg  im  Breisgau  (Germany).    1894. 


/w  £Aese  cfa?/s;  wkn  so  mwc/^  is  written  and  spoken  that  is 
destructive  of  faith  and  of  belief  in  revelation,  and  when  the  Sacred 
Writings  themselves  are  treated  with  even  less  respect  than  profane 
history,  it  is  important  to  give  to  Catholic  youth  such  a  work  as 
Dr.  KNECHT'S  Commentary  on  the  Old  and  New  Testament.  The 
chief  value  of  the  work  consists  in  this,  that  it  points  out  the  bearing 
of  Bible  History  upon  faith  and  morals.  To  shew  in  what  ways  the 
Inspired  Writings  are  of  practical  use  to  Christian  life,  to  mark  their 
application  to  conduct  as  they  are  perused  by  the  youthful  reader, 
is  to  render  a  great  service  to  our  holy  Religion.  Dr.  KNECHT'S 
work  seems  to  have  attained  a  considerable  success  in  other  lands. 
I  augur  for  it,  therefore,  in  English-speaking  countries  at  least  a 
hearty  welcome. 

It  is  of  great  importance  that  Catholics  should  esteem  and  love 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  should  learn  to  use  them  aright.  We  have 
here  before  us  a  valuable  aid  in  this  direction. 

Herbert  Cardinal  Vaughan, 

Archbishop  of  Westminster. 
June  6.    1894. 


o  n 


Belleville,  III,  April  5.  1894. 
DEAR  SIR, 

The  "Commentary  on  Holy  Scripture  for  the  use  of  Catechists  and 
Teachers"  by  Dr.  F.  J.  KNECHT,  now  Auxiliary  Bishop  of  Freiburg, 
Baden,  has  been  received  with  the  greatest  welcome  by  the  Clergy  in 
Germany.  It  is  considered  by  them  as  one  of  the  best  and  most 
useful  works  for  Catechists  and  Teachers.  I  am  glad  to  learn  that 
an  English  translation  of  this  most  excellent  work  is  to  be  published 
by  you,  and  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  the  English  edition  will 
become  as  popular  as  the  original  German.  It  deserves  strong 
recommendation. 

Yours  faithfully  in  Christ 

f  John   Jans  sen, 

Bish&p  of  Belleville. 


St  Mary's  Seminary,  Oscott:  Birmingham,  March  8.  1894. 

I  like  extremely  the  Chapters  I  have  read  of  Dr.  KNECHT' S  Bible 
Narrative  and  Commentary.  With  an  admirable  method  he  combines 
with  the  Narrative  brief  explanatory  notes,  which  he  follows  up  with 
suitable  reflections.  To  a  Catechist  in  want  of  a  Manual  for  teaching 
Bible  History  this  work  will  be  found  invaluable. 

f  Edward, 

Bishop  of  Binning/nan. 


PREFACE. 


rtf  no  country,  perhaps,  has  the  study  of  Catechetics  made 
such  rapid  strides,  or  its  importance  been  so  much  appre- 
ciated, as  in  Germany.  That  country  can  boast  of  a  band  of 
writers  who  have  enriched  the  world  with  a  most  valuable 
catechetical  literature,  treating  the  subject  in  a  way  at 
once  scientific  and  practical.  Gruber,  Krawutzcky,  Overberg, 
Barthel ,  Hirschfelder  and  Benda  are  names  deservedly 
honoured  by  those  who  can  appreciate  the  importance  of 
Catechetics ;  but  more  honourable  still  are  the  names  of 
Schuster  and  Mey,  to  which  must  now  be  added  the  name 
of  Dr.  Knecht,  Auxiliary  Bishop  of  the  Archdiocese  of 
Freiburg,  the  author  of  several  pamphlets  on  state  education 
and  the  school  question,  but  better  known  as  the  author 
of  the  Practical  Commentary,  which  entitles  him  to  a  place 
in  the  front  rank  of  Catechists.  Besides  issuing  Catechisms 
and  Histories,  these  writers  have  done  what  in  them  lay  to 
elevate  Catechetics  into  a  science,  and  to  build  it  up  from 
a  solid  foundation.  They  were  quick  to  see  that  Catechetics 
is  both  a  science  and  an  art,  and  that  like  every  other 
science  it  must  rest  on  certain  broad  principles,  and  move 
along  certain  fixed  lines.  They  recognized  that  Catechisms 
must  be  constructed  not  haphazard,  but  on  a  definite  plan 
and  principle,  and  according  to  rule.  Hence,  for  years  past, 
the  principles  underlying  Catechetics,  its  various  branches — 
e.  g.  Bible  History  and  Catechism — and  their  mutual  inter- 
dependence, the  catechetical  method  itself — viz.  the  mode  of 
imparting  the  several  branches,  and  the  rules  to  be  followed 
by  the  Catechist — all,  in  a  word,  that  goes  to  constitute  the 
science,  has  passed  through  the  sieve  of  exhaustive  discussion,  v. 


viii  PREFACE. 

And  where  do  we  stand  in  England?  Have  we  advanced 
thus  far?  Or  have  we  so  much  as  grasped  the  truth  that 
Catechetics  is  a  science  at  all  ?  On  looking  into  the  dictionary 
I  found,  indeed,  the  word  Catechetics,  but  it  was  marked  with 
an  obelus  or  death-mark,  to  show  that  it  was  either  dying 
or  dead.  The  thing  is  not,  perhaps,  quite  as  lifeless  as  its 
name;  but  if  Catechetics,  as  a  science,  still  barely  lives,  it 
is  the  utmost  that  can  be  said.  I  am  far  from  saying  that 
there  is  a  lack  of  earnestness  amongst  us,  or  that  we  have 
no  experienced  Catechists  who  have  attained  a  fair,  or,  if  you 
will,  a  large  measure  of  success.  Nor  am  I  insinuating  that 
we  are  not  alive  to  the  vast  consequences  with  which  success 
or  failure  in  catechizing  is  fraught  for  the  future.  On  the 
contrary,  the  steady,  if  slow,  growth  of  a  catechetical 
"^  literature  amongst  us  points  to  a  growing  interest  in  the 
subject,  and  a  deepening  sense  of  its  importance.  All  this, 
however,  while  proving  that  we  are  in  point  of  fact 
catechizing,  only  serves  to  bring  out  in  greater  prominence 
the  fact  that  we  are  still  without  the  science.  Are  our 
tools  rusty  ?  Are  our  weapons  broken  or  blunted  ?  In  a  word, 
are  our  methods  right  or  wrong?  Are  the  instruments  we 
are  using  adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which  they  are  intended  ? 
Are  our  Catechisms  correctly  adjusted,  that  is,  are  they  set 
in  a  manner  best  calculated  to  secure  their  aim?  All  these 
are  questions  on  which  our  future  success  turns,  and  which 
clamour  for  an  answer.  If  our  methods  and  our  instruments 
are  perchance  wrong,  we  are  but  wasting  our  energies  in 
attempting  to  naturalize  mistakes,  by  forming  them  into  a 
regular  system.  And  what  answer  can  be  given  to  these 
questions?  Until  lately  no  answer  has  been  attempted,  even 
if  the  question  has  been  asked.  But  recently  an  enterprising 
r  clerical  journal,  Pastor  alia  by  name,  has  been  rife  with 
/discussions  that  have  yet  only  touched  the  fringe  of  these 
great  questions ;  still  I  am  not  without  hopes  that  when  the 
!mass  of  nebulous  matter  condenses,  it  may  prove  to  be  the 
^beginning  of  a  solid  catechetical  system. 

We  in  England,  then,   seem  to  be  just  entering  on  the 
preliminary  stage   of  discussion.     In  Germany  the  stage  of 


PREFACE.  ix 

discussion  has  long  been  passed.  And,  it  will  naturally  be 
asked,  has  the  discussion  proved  as  barren  of  practical  fruit 
as  many  German  discussions  have  undoubtedly  been?  What 
has  been  the  net  result?  Is  any  advantage  likely  to  accrue 
from  a  discussion?  Is  not  the  catechetical  system  that  is 
stereotyped  in  practice  good  enough?  These  are,  I  submit, 
questions  that  may  be  profitably  discussed,  even  if  the 
discussion  entail  no  change.  At  any  rate,  it  can  do  no 
harm,  if  it  only  strengthen  our  self-assurance  that  we  are 
travelling  on  the  right  road.  For  it  is  not  a  little  singular 
that  the  Germans,  who  have  discussed  these  matters,  and  we,\ 
who  have  not,  move  in  many  respects  on  totally  distinct 
planes.  The  Germans,  for  instance,  use  a  graduated  series  of 
Catechisms.  There  are  lower  Catechisms,  middle  CatecfiiSnis, 
and  upper  Catechisms.  In  England,  on  the  other  hand, 
we  have  practically  but  one  Catechism,  which  is  learnt  alike 
by  infants  on  the  gallery,  and  by  youths  in  the  upper 
forms.  Is  it  better  to  have  one  Catechism  or  a  graduated 
series  adapted  to  the  several  capacities  of  those  who  use 
them?*  Surely,  it  would  not  be  futile  to  discuss  thef 
respective  merits  or  demerits  of  the  two  systems.  For 
without  presuming  to  say  that  either  is  better  than  the 
other,  I  may  safely  affirm  that  ours  is  not  so  obviously 
superior  as  to  be  outside  the  pale  of  discussion. 

Another  question  closely  bound  up  with  the  former  is  to 
determine  what  should  be  the  setting  and  frame-work  and 
general  characteristics  of  a  Catechism.  Should  a  Catechism, 
in  a  word,  be  a  Summa  Theoloqica  in  miniature?  a  com- 
pendium of  Theology?  a  condensed  essence  of  theological 
treatises?  Should  it  be  couched  in  technical  language? 
Should  it  bristle  with  definitions?  Should  the  definitions  be 
framed  with  such  studied  accuracy  that  the  most  fastidious 
philosopher  shall  be  unable  to  detect  the  slightest  flaw  or^ 
imperfection?  Should  they  be  such  that  "only  a  philosopher 
can  read  them  without  a  groan"?  Or  should  a  Catechism 
be  a  religious  primer?     Should   its   language   be  plain   and 

*  One  and  the  same  Catechism  might  serve  for  all  grades,  if  it  were 
printed  with  some  distinction  analogous  to  large  and  small  type. 


x  PREFACE. 

simple ,  but  accurate  withal,  though  without  straining  after 
minute  shades  of  accuracy?  Should  there  be  more  expla- 
nations and  fewer  definitions?  By  way  of  illustrating  the 
two  methods  I  will  transcribe  two  answers  to  the  question: 
What  is  God?  One  answer  occurs  in  the  English  Catechism, 
the  other  in  Deharbe's  Small  Catechism,  a  translation  of 
which  is  extensively  used  in  the  United  States. 

ENGLISH  CATECHISM.        DEHARBE'S  CATECHISM. 

What  is  God?  What  is  God? 

God  is  the  supreme  Spirit,  who  God   is  the  Lord  and  Master  of 

alone   exists  of  Himself  and  is  in-  Heaven  and  earth,  from  Whom  all 

finite  in  all  perfections.  good  things  come. 

The  English  definition  is  made  up  of  a  number  of 
ideas  of  such  a  hard  metaphysical  cast  as  to  be  wholly 
impervious  to  the  ordinary  mind,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
child-mind.  Nay  it  may  be  affirmed  without  exaggeration 
that  only  those  who  have  undergone  a  philosophical  and  a 
theological  training  can  ever  hope  to  understand  it.  The 
very  explanation  involves  a  course  of  theology.  For  the 
definition  is  the  whole  treatise  Be  Deo  in  a  nutshell.  Deharbe's 
answer  immediately  stoops  to  lowly  intelligences,  and  thereby 
it  stoops  to  conquer.  Being  adapted  to  the  capacity  of 
children  it  will  give  them,  at  least,  some  idea  of  God, 
whereas  the  English  definition  cannot  but  leave  a  blank. 
And  yet,  as  Frassinetti  rightly  contends,  the  first  and 
chiefest  step  in  catechizing  is  to  give  children  a  grand  and 
exalted  idea  of  God.  Even  the  Middle  Catechisms  do  not 
require  their  pupils  to  soar  to  such  metaphysical  heights  as 
we  expect  our  infants  to  scale. 

To  some  it  will  seem  that  both  methods  are  right,  if 
each  be  kept  in  its  place:  that  we  need  both  a  digest  of 
theology  and  a  religious  primer.  At  the  same  time  it  is 
respectfully  insisted  that  the  two  works  are  so  different  in 
scope  and  material  that  any  attempt  to  fuse  them  into  one 
I  is  foredoomed  to  failure.  Surely,  all  must  allow  that  religious 
teaching  comes  first,  theological  explanation  a  long  way 
second,  and  theological  terms  are  to  be  admitted  only  when 
they  cannot  be  kept  out. 


PREFACE.  xi 

Thus  we  have  again  veered  round  to  the  previous  question: 
whether  it  is  better  to  have  jme  Catechism  or  several.?  Those 
who  maintain  the  necessity  of  having  several  Catechisms, 
or  several  grades  in  the  one  Catechism,  can  at  all  events 
appeal  to  the  example  of  St.  Paul  who  prescribed  milk  for 
the  weak  and  solid  food  for  the  strong. 

There  is  yet  a  third  point  on  which  we  need  light,  and 
that  is_the  disposition  and  order  in  which  the  material  should 
be  set.  In  what  order  should  the  Catechism  be  arranged  ? 
On  a  metaphysical  or  a  practical  plan?  The  order  followed 
in  the  English  Catechism  is  severely  metaphysical,  and 
consequently  children  do  not  learn  till  late  many  things 
that  they  require  to  know  early.  Take,  for  instance,  the 
Sacrament  of  Penance  and  the  Christian's  Daily  Exercise. 
These  occur  in  the  latter  part  of  the  Catechism.  And  yet, 
children  require  these  long  before  this  stage  in  the  Catechism 
is  reached,  that  is,  if  the  present  order  be  followed.  And  what 
is  the  result  ?  That  children  have  to  be  learning  two  parts  ^ 
of  the  Catechism  concurrently:  one  for  school -work,  and 
another  to  fit  them  for  the  Sacraments  they  are  about  to 
receive.  Thus  the  school- work  is  a  drag  on  the  Sacraments,  ( 
and  the  Sacraments  a  drag  on  the  school -work,  whereas 
they  should  be  a  mutual  help  one  to  the  other.  A  question 
proper  to  be  discussed  in  Catechetics  is  how  far  this  double 
system  is  a  waste  of  energy,  and  how  far  it  would  be 
advantageous  to  arrange  the  school  Catechism  on  a  more 
useful  principle,  that  is,  broadly  speaking,  in  the  order 
in  which  it  is  required*.  In  the  Catechism  for  the  Diocese 
of  Rottenburg,  the  Sacraments  follow  immediately  on  the 
articles  of  the  Creed.  This,  at  all  events,  is  a  step  in  the 
right  direction.  For  obviously  children  receive  the  Sacraments, 
and  therefore  require  to  know  about  them,  before  they  need  < 
a  detailed  knowledge  of  the  commandments.  But  still  greater 
advance  has  been  made  in  the  Diocese  of  Salford.  In  the 
manuals  of  Religious  Instruction  used  in  that  diocese,  and 
approved  by  the  present  Cardinal  Archbishop  when  Bishop 

*  Catechisms  of  this  kind  are  in  use  in  the  Dioceses  of  Birmingham 
and  Salford. 


xii  PREFACE. 

of  Salford,  the  questions  and  answers  are  arranged,  not  in 
the  mechanical  order  with  which  we  are  familiar  in  the 
ordinary  Catechism,  but  in  subjects.  Here  we  have,  I  submit, 
a  valuable  hint  which,  if  judiciously  acted  upon,  cannot  but 
greatly  simplify  the  work  of  learning  and,  what  is  more 
important,  of  understanding  the  Catechism. 

The  incidental  mention  of  the  Catechism  for  the  Diocese  of 
Rottenburg  suggests  another  point — and  it  shall  be  the  last — 
on  which  I  wish  now  to  touch.  This  Catechism  has  in 
common  with  our  own  one  notable  feature.  Underlying  both 
is  the  remarkable  principle  of  embodying  the  question  in 
the  answer.  When  this  principle  was  first  introduced  into 
the  English  Catechism,  it  was  looked  upon  as  the  golden 
key  that  would  unlock  the  portals  of  knowledge.  It  was 
imagined  that  the  automatic  action  of  dovetailing  the  question 
into  the  answer  would  serve  as  a  sort  of  plastic  medium 
for  transferring  to  the  mind  of  the  child  the  connexion 
between  question  and  answer  that  exists  on  paper.  The 
psychic  process  by  which  this  result  was  to  be  achieved 
was  doubtless  wrapped  in  mystery;  but  as  an  expedient 
for  bridging  over  the  abyss  between  mind  and  matter,  the 
device  was  certainly  ingenious.  It  looked  very  plausible,  and 
no  one  could  say  that  it  might  not  succeed.  Its  shortlived 
existence,  however,  has  but  confirmed  the  old  axiom  that 
an  automaton  will  never  produce  life  or  intelligence.  No  one 
nowadays  dreams  that  it  has  realized  the  great  expectations 
-that  were  formed  from  it.  Nay,  if  I  may  speak  as  one 
less  wise,  I  should  say  that  the  soundness  of  the  principle 
is  very  widely  called  in  question.  Instead  of  smoothing  away, 
as  many  object,  it  has  multiplied  the  difficulty  of  learning 
the  Catechism  by  increasing  the  matter  of  the  answers, 
already  in  many  cases  too  bulky* ;  and,  what  is  far  worse, 
by  giving   such  undue   prominence  to  the  question,  it  has 

V      *  Bulky  not  merely  in  words,  but  chiefly  in  ideas.   An  answer  should 

•*  contain  one  fact  or  one  idea;   not  a  fact  and  a  reason  for  the  fact;   or 

a  fact,  and  an  exception,  and  a  reason  for  the  exception.   Questions  with 

a  multiplicity  of  ideas  (e.  g.  What  is  an  Indulgence?),  if  split  up  into 

several,  may  be  made  intelligible. 


PREFACE.  xm 

thrust  the  answer  into  the  background,  and  thus  the  answer 
is  smothered  or  strangled  in  the  question.  Now,  which  is 
the  more  important  factor  in  a  Catechism:  the  question  or 
the  answer?  The  answer  to  this  question  is  too  obvious 
to  need  stating;  for  surely  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
answer  is  of  primary,  and  the  question  of  only  secondary 
importance.  The  question  is  of  value  only  inasmuch  as  it 
draws  out  the  answer.  It  is  the  answer,  therefore,  that 
should  be  to  the  front,  and  the  question  in  the  background. 
Whereas  when  the  question  is  put  in  front,  and  the  answer 
in  the  rear — when  the  question  is  made  to  overshadow  the 
answer — the  natural  order  is  inverted. 

I  have  said  that  the  English  and  Rottenburg  Catechisms 
share  this  principle  in  common.  But,  after  all,  the  agreement 
between  the  two  Catechisms  is  only  apparent.  For  there 
is  this  difference  between  the  two,  that  in  the  English 
Catechism  the  question  was  framed  before  the  answer, 
whereas  in  the  Rottenburg  Catechism  the  answer  was  framed 
before  the  question.  Thus  in  the  latter  the  true  principle 
appears  as  a  living  force. 

This  is  a  matter  of  greater  import  than  at  first  blush  it( 
may  seem.  Not  only  is  this  mode  of  procedure  a  courageous 
assertion  of  the  true  principle  on  which  I  have  been  insisting ; 
not  only  is  the  true  proportion  between  question  and  answer 
thereby  observed;  but  it  also  gives  us  a  glimpse  of  yet 
another  truth  which  we  seem  barely  to  have  realized:  viz. 
that  answers  gain  in  clearness  and  directness  when  they 
are  unhampered  by  the  stilted  phraseology  of  a  preformed 
question.  How  much  plainer  and  simpler  would  Catechisms 
be,  if  all  were  constructed  on  this  plan !  Still,  if  the  Rotten- 
burg principle  is  right,  we  may  reasonably  go  a  step 
farther  and  ask,  how  far  it  is  advisable  to  have  stereotyped 
questions  at  all.  Will  the  Catechism  of  the  future  —if 
Catechism  it  can  be  called — ,  after  the  manner  of  that  ex- 
cellent religious  primer,  Facts  of  Faith,  consist  merely  of  sets 
of  plain  simple  consecutive  statements?  That  some  chapters 
in  the  Catechism  lose  in  effectiveness  by  being  put  in  the 
form   of  question   and   answer,   is  to  me  painfully  evident. 


xiv  PREFACE. 

Take,  for  instance,  the  last  chapter — the  Christian's  Daily 
)  Exercise.  Will  any  one  say  that  the  beautiful  instructions 
therein  contained  would  not  be  far  more  telling,  if  written 
in  the  form  of  pithy  childlike  statements?  But,  as  they 
stand,  they  are  positively  handicapped  by  the  questions  to 
which  they  form  a  pendant.  And  it  is  to  be  feared  that,  in 
consequence,  children  often  think  of  the  duty  inculcated  only 
in  connexion  with  its  question  in  the  Catechism. 

2. 

Leaving  the  domain  of  general  Catechetics,  we  now  come 
to  that  branch  which  is  the  subject-matter  of  the  present 
volume,  viz.  Bible  History.  And,  first  of  all,  it  may  be 
asked:  what  place  does  Bible  History  hold  in  a  course  of 
religious  instruction?  Bible  History  is  not  the  foundation 
on  which  religious  instruction  rests,  nor  the  centre  round 
which  it  revolves,  nor  the  goal  towards  which  it  tends.  Our 
religion  centres  in  our  faith,  which  is  not  a  condensed  extract 
from  Bible  History,  but  comes  from  the  Church.  Not  Bible 
History,  then,  but  the  teaching  of  the  Church  must,  on 
Catholic  principles,  be  at  once  the  beginning,  middle  and  end 
of  religious  instruction.  Hence  Bible  History,  to  claim  a 
place  in  religious  instruction,  must  do  so  only  inasmuch 
as  it  bears  on  the  doctrines  of  faith.  If  this  principle  be 
kept  steadily  in  view,  Bible  History  may  be  made  to 
render  most  valuable  service  in  religious  instruction.  The 
illustrative  light  it  throws  on  doctrinal  truths  makes  them 
more  easily  intelligible.  They  become  invested  with  a  concrete 
form,  are  clothed  with  flesh  and  blood,  breathe  the  breath 
of  life,  and  move  like  living  truths  before  our  eyes.  In 
the  Catechism ,  they  appear  as  cold  abstracts  and  mere 
.^outlines.  Thus  Bible  History  becomes  an  object-lesson  in 
Afaith,  a  veritable  pictorial  Catechism.  How  powerfully,  for 
instance,  is  the  truth  of  an  all-ruling  Providence  illustrated 
by  the  histories  of  Joseph  and  Abraham!  What,  again,  is 
better  calculated  to  teach  the  power  of  prayer  than  the 
stories  of  Moses  praying  while  the  Israelites  fought,  and  of 
the  Church  praying  for  the  imprisoned  Peter?   On  the  other 


PREFACE.  xv 

hand,  the  fate  of  Judas  and  the  rejection  of  Juda  show  forth, 
in  all  their  hideous  deformity,  the  terrible  consequences  of 
resistance  to  grace;  while  the  history  of  the  fall  of  Eve 
and  of  Peter  brings  out  the  necessity  of  avoiding  dangerous 
occasions.  In  this  way,' Bible  History  at  once  proves  and 
illustrates  doctrinal  truth.  <-•  And  it  likewise  develops  and 
expands  such  truth.  The  Catechism  tells  us,  indeed,  how 
and  why  Christ  suffered,  but  Bible  History  gives  a  full  and 
detailed  account  of  His  sufferings,  and  so  enables  us  better 
to  realize  the  infinite  love  of  God  and  the  enormity  of  sin. 
The  texts  of  Scripture  that  in  the  Catechism  stand  isolated 
and  shorn  of  their  context,  are  now  seen  in  the  light  of  their 
surroundings  and  speak  to  us  with  a  new  force  and  meaning. 
^/Moreover,  Bible  History  serves  to  complete  the  Catechism. 
The  Catechism,  for  example,  is  silent  about  miracles,  about 
God's  mercy  and  forbearance,  His  patience  and  long-suffering. 
Of  humility,  and  indeed  of  many  other  virtues,  it  is  also 
silent,  except  that  it  arranges  them  over  against  the  opposing 
vices.  But  would  we  learn  their  nature  and  properties, 
and  how  pleasing  they  are  to  God,  it  is  to  Bible  History 
that  we  must  turn.  The  Catechism  is  monosyllabic  in  stating 
the  duties  that  children  owe  to  their  parents,  masters  to  their  [ 
servants,  and  vice-versa ;  whereas  the  history  of  the  centu-  ,* 
rion's  servant,  of  Heli's  sons,  and  of  Tobias  surrounds  these 
duties  with  a  halo  of  interpreting  light.  Again ,  ^Bible 
History  exhibits  religious  truth  in  its  bearing  and  action  on 
the  most  varied  states  and  conditions.  Virtue  and  vice  stand 
before  us,  with  life-blood  coursing  through  their  veins,  in 
attractive  beauty  or  repellent  ugliness.  The  Good  Samaritan 
invites  to  mercy;  Job,  in  his  resignation  to  God's  will,  is  a  ' 
beacon-light  to  the  sorrowing ;  the  Apostles  going  forth  from  \ 
the  scourges,  and  rejoicing  that  they  were  accounted  worthy  to 
suffer  for  Christ,  invest  with  a  startling  reality  the  beatitude : 
Blessed  are  they  that  suffer  persecution  for  justice'  sake. 

From  all  this  it  is  clear  that  Bible  History  is  not  to  be 
read,  as  too  often  it  is,  merely  as  a  story-book;  that  it  is 
to  be  studied,  not  on  its  own  account,  but  because  it  im- 
parts life  and  vigour,  picturesqueness  and  comprehensiveness 


xvi  PREFACE. 

to  religious  instruction;  because  it  elucidates,  proves,  en- 
forces and  illustrates  the  truths  that  go  to  make  up  religious 
instruction.  But,  as  Dr.  Knecht  insists,  in  order  that  Bible 
History  may  be  in  a  position  to  render  these  services,  it  must 
be  "taught  in  the  closest  connexion  with  the  Catechism". 
"Catechism  and  Bible  History  must  mutually  interpenetrate  *, 
for  only  in  this  way  is  a  systematic  course  of  religious  in- 
struction possible"  (p.  9).  Catechism  and  Bible  History  must 
go  hand  in  hand,  but  Catechism  must  be  in  the  van.  Catechism 

A  is  the  guiding  principle,  and  Bible  History  its  handmaid. 
These  are  the  principles,  weighty  though  elementary,  on 
which  Dr.  Knecht  and  all  writers  on  Catechetics  are  generally 
agreed.  And  how  does  practice  harmonize  with  principles? 
Is  practice  attuned  to  principle?  Or  are  the  two  in  hopeless 
discord?  To  begin  with,  how  many  teachers  have  mastered 
the  reason  why  Bible  History  has  a  place  in  religious  in- 
struction? How  many,  or  how  few,  realize  the  fact  that 
Bible  History  and  Catechism  should  be  "taught  in  the  closest 
connexion"?  And  what  percentage  of  those  who  have  grasped 
this  truth  put  it  in  practice?    There  is  no  denying  the  patent 

s  fact  that,  as  a  rule,  the  two  are  not  taught  concurrently, 
and  are  not  made  to  run  on  parallel  lines.  Ten  to  one, 
the  Bible  History  set  down  for  a  class  in  a  given  year 
has  no  connexion  whatever  with  the  doctrinal  instruction 
of  that  year.  Thus ,  while  children  are  being  instructed  in 
the  Holy  Eucharist,  their  Scripture  History  turns  on  that 
singularly  uninspiring  period  embraced  by  the  reigns  of 
the  kings  of  Israel  and  Juda!  All  this  comes  from  being 
enslaved  to  the  chronological  system.  This  is  the  root  of 
the  evil  to  which  the  axe  must  be  laid.  Forgetting  the 
plain  principle  that  should  underly  the  teaching  of  all  Bible 
History,  and  utterly  ignoring  the  profit  or  loss  to  the  children, 
we  have  stumbled  over  the  crooked  idea  that  Bible  History 
must  be  taught  chronologically  even  in  our  poor  schools. 
I  am  far  from  denying,  nay,  I  affirm  that  a  systematic 
course  of  Bible  History  should  be  given  when  time  and 
facilities  are  not  wanting,  as  in  our  upper  schools  and 
*  "In  inniger  gegenseitiger  Durchdringung". 


PREFACE.  xvii 

colleges.     But   in   our  poor  schools,  where  the  time  barely 
suffices   to   give   the   necessary  instruction   and   to   drive  it 
home  with  religious  effect,  a  slavish  adhesion  to  chronology  j 
is  to  sacrifice  realities  to  figures.    To  talk  of  a  systematic^ 
course  in  this  sense,   under  such  circumstances,  is  nothing 
short   of  preposterous.    In   the  chronological  system ,   Bible 
History  cannot,   except  by  a  happy  accident,   enforce  and 
illustrate  the  religious  instruction.     Far  from  being  a  help, f 
it  is  a  drawback.    Instead  of  elucidating,   it  obscures.    No 
longer  the   handmaid,   it   seeks   to  be  on  an  equality  with 
the   mistress.     For  religious   instruction   to   succeed  in   its  '^ 
great   purpose   it    must,    as    Dr.   Knecht   rightly   says,    be 
conducted   on  a  "unitive"  plan.     The  unit  is   the  doctrinal 
instruction,  with  which  the  Bible  History  must  be  brought 
into   line,    unless  we   are   to   fly  in   the   teeth   of  all  ourC 
principles.     Let    me    now    briefly    illustrate    what    I    mean 
by  this   unification   or   concentration   of  subject  that  I  am 
advocating,   lest  perhaps   I   be   twitted  with   pulling   down 
without    attempting   to    build    up.      Instead ,   therefore ,    of 
teaching   children  who   are  being  instructed  in  the  Blessed 
Eucharist   about   the   kings   of   Israel    and  Juda,   I  would 
teach  them  the  Scripture  History  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist, 
as  in  the  following  plan*: 

THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST. 

I.   Types  of  the  Holy  Eucharist: 

1.  The  Sacrifice  of  Melchisedech. 

2.  The  Paschal  Lamb.  ^„> 

3.  The  Manna. 

4.  The  Food  of  Elias. 

5.  The  Jewish  Sacrifices. 
II.   The  Prophecy  of  Malachias. 

III.  Christ  promises  a  new  Sacrifice : 

1.  At  Jacob's  Well, 

2.  After  the  multiplication  of  the  loaves. 

IV.  The  Last  Supper. — Institution  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist. 
V.    The  two  disciples  going  to  Emmaus. 

*   From  Scripture  History  for  Schools  (No.  3).     Approved  for  use  in 


xvm  PREFACE. 

VI.   Miracles  illustrative  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist: 

1.  Water  made  wine  at  Cana. 

2.  Multiplication  of  loaves. 

3.  Christ  walking  on  the  waters. 

4.  The  Transfiguration. 

The   important   subject   of   the   Church   may   be   treated 
somewhat  similarly. 

THE  CHURCH. 

Part  I.    The  Old  Testament. 

I.  Introductory. 

II.  The  Church  a  Family. 

1.  Noe.    The  Ark. 

2.  Call  of  Abraham. — The  promises  to  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob. 

III.  The  Church  a  People. 

1.  Moses. 

2.  Giving  of  the  Law. 

3.  The  Tabernacle. 

4.  Entrance  into  Promised  Land. 

IV.  The  Church  a  Kingdom. 

1.  David. 

2.  Solomon. — Building  of  the  Temple. 

3.  The  kingdom  broken  up. 

V.  God  promises  to  set  up  a  New  Kingdom. 

Part  II.    The  Gospels. 

VI.  Introductory. 

VII.  Christ  the  King.— The  Kingdom  of  God. 
VIII.  Parables  on  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

1.  The  Hidden  Treasure. 

2.  The  Pearl  of  Great  Price. 

3.  The  Wheat  and  the  Cockle. 

4.  The  Drag-net. 

5.  The  Leaven. 

6.  The  Mustard  Seed. 

7.  The  Good  Shepherd. 
IX.  Jesus  calls  Disciples. 

X.  The  first  Miraculous  Draught  of  Fishes. 
XI.  Peter's  Confession   of  Faith. — The  Foundation  of  the  Church  of 

Christ. 
XII.  Christ  promises  that  Peter's  faith  shall  not  fail. 

XIII.  The  second  miraculous  Draught  of  Fishes. — Christ  makes   Peter 

Chief  Shepherd. 

XIV.  The  Mission  of  the  Apostles. 


PREFACE.  xix 

Pakt  III.    History  of  the  Church  after  our  Lord's  Ascension. 

XV.  The  Opening  of  the  Church. 
XVI.  Peter  cures  the  Lame  Man. 
XVII.  The  First  Christians. 
XVIII.  The  Apostles  work  miracles ;  are  imprisoned  etc. 
XIX.  Conversion  of  St.  Paul. 
XX.  Peter  visits  the  Churches. 
XXI.  Peter's  vision. — Cornelius. 
XXII.  Peter  imprisoned  and  set  free  by  angel. 

XXIII.  The  Council  of  Jerusalem. 

XXIV.  Primacy  of  St.  Peter.— Summary. 

In  a  word,  the  Scripture  History  should  be  grouped  round 
the  central  doctrines  of  our  faith. 


A  subject  largely  discussed  in  Catechetics  is  the  method 
of  teaching  Bible  History.  Catechists  are  now  agreed  that 
five  factors  go  to  make  up  the  teaching  of  Bible  History: 
1.  Narrative,  2.  explanation,  3.  repetition,  4.  commentary, 
5.  application.  Not  to  be  needlessly  prolix,  I  assume  that 
this  is  also  the  order  in  which  they  are  to  be  taken.  A 
few  words  must  be  said  on  each. 

Narrative.     The  first  stage  in  teaching  Bible  History  is 
the  narrative.   The  teacher  tells^the  story  briefly  and  pithily,  u 
in  such  a  way,  however,  as  to  make  the  actors  stand  out 
as  living  beings,  and  enable  the  children  to  see  with  their 
eyes  and  hear  with  their  ears  what  is  said  and  done.   This 
is  what  Fenelon  called  the  "fundamental   law"  in  teaching 
Bible  History.     Neglect  or  slipshod  observance  of  this  rule- 
is  prolific  in  failures.    And  yet,  in  defiance  of  this  "funda-" 
mental  law",  children  are  often  set  to  learn  the  History  in' 
the  first  instance  from  a  book!     What  is  the  result?     The 
child,  failing  to  understand  the  story  aright  at  the  outset  J 
receives  a  blurred  impression  which  is  never  wholly  effaced. 
And  no  wonder.    The  negative  was  bad ;  and  no  amount  of 
subsequent   dilutions   and   retouchings  will  produce  a  goody 
photograph   from   a  bad   negative.     It  is  essential  that  the 
first  impression  should  be  a  good  one.    If  the  child  fails  at 
first  to  catch  the  points  of  interest,  it  is  bored  by  the  story 


xx  PREFACE. 

ever  afterwards.  But  if  the  story  is  well  told,  the  child's 
interest  is  awakened,  and  it  is  all  ears  to  know  something 
further.  The  narrative  is  the  peg  on  which  all  that  follows 
is  to  hang.  Unless  the  nail  be  firmly  driven  in,  it  will  not 
hold  the  picture ;  so  unless  the  points  of  the  story  are  clearly 
fixed  in  the  child's  mind,  it  is  labour  wasted  to  overlay  it 
with  explanations  or  to  attach  pendant  commentaries. 

Explanation.  A  story  well  told  is  half  explained.  In 
telling  the  story,  hard  words  are,  as  far  as  possible,  to  be 
avoided;  but  from  time  to  time,  words  and  phrases,  usages 
and  customs  that  need  explaining,  will  find  their  way  into  the 
story.  This  is  all  that  Catechists  mean  by  the  explanation, 
viz.,  making  clear  all  that  is  absolutely  necessary  for  under- 
standing the  story  aright.  It  does  not  mean  branching  off  into 
learned  digressions,  or  talking  over  the  children's  heads. 
All  vapid  display  of  learning  confuses  rather  than  explains. 
Repetition.  So  far  books  have  been  on  the  shelf.  And 
sometimes  they  remain  there  much  longer.  Some  teachers, 
taking  their  stand  on  high  principles,  rise  to  heights  of 
virtuous  indignation  in  denouncing  all  employment  of  Bible 
Histories  as  pernicious.  Books,  they  say,  degrade  the  learn- 
ing of  Bible  History  to  the  clumsiest  mechanical  operation, 
and  deal  a  death-blow  at  intelligence.  But  surely  this  de- 
nunciation proceeds  from  a  wrong  conception  of  the  time 
and  place  when  books  are  to  be  used.  If  the  children  are 
made  to  learn  the  history  in  the  first  instance  from  a  book, 
undoubtedly  the  objection  has  some  force.  Then,  however, 
not  books  but  wrong  methods  are  to  blame.  How  can  the 
)ook  rightly  used  be  fatal  to  intelligence,  since  intelligence 
las  been  brought  into  play  before  the  book  is  used  at  all  ? 
'or  surely  it  is  bringing  violence  to  bear  against  common 
sense  to  contend  that  reading  a  story  after  it  has  been 
understood,  obliterates  intelligence. 

After  the  story  has  been  told,  the  children  open  their 
books,  and  one  or  more  read  it  aloud — the  teacher  adding 
any  further  explanations  that  may  be  necessary.  Teachers 
— this  is  important — in  telling  the  story  should  endeavour 
to  adhere  pretty  closely  to  the  words  of  the  book.    Other- 


PREFACE.  xxi 

wise,  if  the  language  differs  notably  from  that  in  the  book, 
the  children,  when  reading  the  story  for  themselves,  will 
be  puzzled  and  perplexed.  Considerable  variety  in  language 
will  only  confuse  them. 

So  far  the  children  have  listened  to  the  story  with  atten- 
tion, and  have  understood  it.  But  the  impression,  like  lines 
written  in  water,  will  quickly  disappear,  unless  measures  be 
taken  to  fix  it  in  the  memory.  This  is  the  next  process.  Our 
knowledge  is  coextensive  with  our  memory.  We  know  as 
much  or  as  little  as  we  remember.  Memory,  says  Hirsch- 
felder,  is  the  mortar  that  holds  the  bricks  together.  Wrtnout 
memory,  the  combined  action  of  understanding,  heart  and 
will,  can  only  succeed  in  erecting  a  pile  of  loose  stones. 
Furthermore,  many  Catechists  of  note  insist  that  the  text 
should  be  committed  to  memory,  word  for  word,  at  least 
by  young  children.  Thus  Alleker  argues  that  a  free  repro- 
duction is  beyond  the  capabilities  of  all  but  advanced  pupils, 
and  that  it  is  far  easier  for  children  to  reproduce  the  matter 
in  the  form  set  before  them.  Hirschf elder  truly  observes 
that  children  are  unequal  to  improving  on  the  form  given 
in  the  book,  and  that,  when  the  lesson  is  not  exacted 
word  for  word,  the  tendency,  especially  in  the  quicker  and 
brighter  children,  is  to  learn  it  in  the  most  slipshod  fashion. 
Perhaps  time  will  throw  light  on  this  question.  Meanwhile 
teachers  may  do  much  towards  facilitating  the  by-heart  and 
making  it  intelligent,  by  pointing  out  the  natural  divisions 
of  the  story,  the  connexion  between  the  several  parts,  etc. 

As  regards  the  repetition  in  class,  I  cannot  do  better 
than  give  in  substance  Dr.  Knecht's  words.  The  repetition 
consists  in  the  children  telling  the  story  independentlyTaifif 
in  a  connected  fashion,  /it  should  be  no  parrot-prattle,  no 
mechanical  outpouring  of  sentences  conned  by  rote ;  but  the 
story  should  be  told  intelligently ,  with*  correct  expression 
and  emphasis.  In  particular,  teachers  should  beware  of 
letting  the  children  either  speak  too  quickly,  or  fall  into  a 
sing-song,  drawling,  or  hum-drum  style. 

Commentary.  Hitherto  all  our  efforts  have  been  concen- 
trated on  the  Bible  story  in  itself.    The  children  have  seized 


xxn  PREFACE. 

the  right  points  of  the  story;   they  have  learnt  the  course 
of  events,   and   have   gained   an    insight   into   the  motives 
that  impelled  the  actors  in  the  drama;  they  understand  the 
immediate  meaning  of  the  phrases  in  which  the  story  is  told. 
But   the   deeper  meaning   of  the  story  is  still  hidden  from 
themvJ(The  commentary  is  the  key  that  opens  the  gate  of 
^  this  wider  knowledge.    The  Bible  narrative  is  no  longer  to 
be  viewed  as  a  story,   but  as  a  revelation  from  God,    dis- 
closing God's  will  and  God's  attributes.    Every  Bible  story 
contains    dogmatic   and   moral   truths.      One    might   almost 
say  that  the  events  happened  for  the  sake  of  these  truths. 
To  draw  out  these   truths,  and  bring   them   vividly  before 
the  children,  is   the   most   important  part  of  instruction  in 
Bible  History.    And  this  is  the  function  of  the  commentary. 
/Thus   the  commentary   brings   out  the   typical   character  of 
\persons   and   things;   it   unearths   the  truths  buried  in  our 
'Lord's  parables;  it  unfolds  the  spiritual  meaning  underlying 
)His  miracles.   But,  most  of  all,  it  shows  what  bearing  Bible 
/stories  have  on  doctrines  of  faith  and  morals,  on  the  cultus 
vand  institutions  of  the  Church.    Thus  the  teacher  has  to  hand 
an  instrument  which,  if  wisely  used,  is  admirably  adapted 
for  deepening  the  religious  knowledge  and  strengthening  the 
religious   convictions  of  the  children,  and   for  arming  their 
faith  on  all  points.     Such  is  Dr.  Knecht's  account  of  the 
function  of  the  commentary.    And  he  goes  on  to  point  out 
^  the^qualities  that  the  commentary  should  have  if  it  is  to  be 
ellSctive/TTlt  must  be  according  to  the  mind  of  the  Church, 
whom   Christ   has   appointed   to   guard  and   expound   Holy 
Scripture.    The  commentary  is  not  intended  for  a  platform 
on  which  the  teacher  can  air  his  own  crude  opinions.    2.  It 
must  be  catechetical.    Both  in  matter  and  manner  it  must 
conform  to  the  rules  of  Catechetics,  i.  e.  it  must  be  adapted 
to   the   class   to  which   it  is   given.yAll   platitudes,  vague 
^generalities,  and  scattered  reflections  wide  of  the  mark  are  to 
be  carefully  shunned,  as  they  leave  only  a  nauseating  effect. 
3.  The  teacher  must  keep  steadily  in  view  the  close  connexion 
that    should    subsist   between   Bible   History   and   religious 
instruction.     On  this  point  sufficient  has  already  been  said. 


PREFACE.  xxiii 

Application.  On  this  last  factor  little  need  be  said.  It 
consists  in  holding  up  the  mirror  to  nature ;  in  making  the 
children  realize  that  the  events  recorded ,  though  happen- 
ing ten  thousand  miles  away  and  some  thousands  of  years 
back,  have  an  interest  and  a  concern  for  them,  and  are 
part  and  parcel  of  their  own  lives.  The  temptations  and 
struggles,  the  falls  and  conversions,  the  unkept  promises 
here  depicted,  are  a  reflection  of  our  own  conduct,  and  are 
written  for  our  warning  and  encouragement  and  self-know- 
ledge. Moreover,  in  the  application,  the  truths  elicited  in 
the  commentary  are  brought  home  to  the  individual  child, 
and  are  held  up  to  him  as  a  rule  of  life  and  conduct. 


Such,  in  short,  is  the  programme  that  Dr.  Knecht  has 
mapped  out  for  himself  in  his  Practical  Commentary.  A 
programme  most  inviting  and  comprehensive!  To  many, 
doubtless,  it  will  appear  too  vast  to  be  carried  out  success- 
fully. But  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  Dr.  Knecht's 
success  is  as  great  as  his  programme  is  vast.  His  work 
first  saw  the  light  in  1883,  and  since  then  twelve  large  V 
editions  have  been  exhausted.  This  fact  alone  speaks  volumes 
for  his  success.  His  work  marks  an  immense  advance  on 
anything  that  has  been  published  in  this  country.  In  fact, 
we  have  nothing  in  any  way  like  it ;  nothing  that  approaches 
it  within  a  measurable  distance.  Our  text-books ,  at  their 
best,  give  but  a  good  narrative;  at  their  worst,  I  fear 
to  say  what  they  do.  But  best  and  worst  alike  have  f 
entered  into  an  unholy  covenant  to  give  next  to  nothing 
beyond  the  narrative.  Now,  thanks  to  Dr.  Knecht  and  his 
translator,  we  have  a  work  that,  in  addition  to  a  good 
narrative,  supplies  a  good  explanation,  and  an  excellent, 
commentary.  The  very  idea  that  Bible  History  needs  an 
explanation  and  a  commentary  will,  I  suspect,  come  to 
many  like  a  bolt  from  the  blue.  But  I  trust  that  after  the 
appearance  of  Dr.  Knecht's  work  we  shall  be  ashamed  to 
issue  any  more  Bible  Histories  in  the  good  old  dry-as- V 
dust  style. 


xxiv  PREFACE. 

The  narrative  in  the  Practical  Commentary  is  Dr.  Schuster's 
Bible  History.  This  work  itself  has  already  been  translated 
into  eighteen  languages,  and  has  run  into  I  know  not  how 
many  editions.  Let  it,  however,  be  noted  that  the  Practical 
Commentary  is  not  inextricably  bound  up  with  any  particular 
form  of  narrative,  and  it  will  be  found  equally  serviceable 
with  any  other  narrative  that  teachers  may  prefer  to  take 
as  the  groundwork. 

In  particular,  I  would  call  attention  to  the  excellent 
"Concordance  between  Holy  Scripture  and  the  Catechism", 
as  it  is  called,  given  in  the  Appendix.  In  it  the  teacher  will 
find  ready  to  hand  an  invaluable  repertory  of  Bible  stories 
and  explanations  for  illustrating  his  catechetical  instructions. 

In  conclusion,  I  wish  to  re-echo  with  all  earnestness  the 
words  of  a  writer  in  the  Schweizer  Pastor alblatt:  "I  con- 
sider this  Commentary  the  best  and  most  useful  hand-book 
of  its  kind  ...  I  am  happy  to  think  that  every  day 
strengthens  my  conviction  of  its  great  worth,  and  I  should 
like  to  see  it  in  the  hands  of  every  priest  and  every  teacher." 
I  will  only  add  that  it  is  indispensable  to  every  teacher  who 
would  be  abreast  of  his  work.  To  priests  it  will  be  most 
useful,  not  only  in  the  school,  but  also  in  the  pulpit,  as  it 
supplies  most  suggestive  material  for  courses  of  sermons. 
And  I  make  bold  to  affirm  that  no  one,  be  he  priest  or 
teacher,  can  take  up  without  profit  this  excellent  manual, 
not  the  least  merit  of  which  is  that  it  has  imparted  a 
thoroughly  religious  character  to  the  teaching  of  Bible  History. 


Michael  F.  Glancey. 
Stanley  House, 

eccleshall. 
May   17.     1894. 


CONTENTS. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


FIRST  EPOCH. 

THE  PRIMITIVE  AGES. 
From  Adam  to  Abraham  (about  4000  to  2100  B.  G). 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  Creation  of  the  World 3 

II.  Creation  and  Fall  of  the  Angels 10 

i     III.  Creation    of   the    First    Man.— Paradise. — The    First    Com- 
mandment.— Creation  of  Eve 15 

IV.  The  Fall  of  our  First  Parents.     Two  parts         .         .         .21 

V.  Cain  and  Abel      .         .         . 33 

VI.  The  Deluge  .         ....         .         .         .         .         .         .40 

VII.  Noe's  Offerings. — His  Children     .         .         .         .     .     .         .48 

VIII.  The  Tower  of  Babel .         .55 

SECOND  EPOCH. 

The  time  of  the  Patriarchs  (about  2100—1500  B.  C). 

IX.  Call  of  Abram      ....:....       60 

X.    Abram's  Love  of  Peace 63 

XI.  Abraham's  Faith  and  Hospitality. — Circumcision                   .       68 

XII.  Destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha  .         .         .         .         .71 

XIII.  Birth  of  Isaac  and  Abraham's  Sacrifice       ....       77 

XIV.  Isaac  marries  Rebecca .82 

XV.   Esau  and  Jacob '      .         .         .         .86 

XVI.  Jacob's  Flight  and  His  Sojourn  with  Laban        ...       92 

XVII.  Jacob   returns  Home,  and   is   reconciled    with  His  Brother       97 

XVIII.  Joseph  Sold  by  His  Brethren 102 

XIX.  Joseph  in  the  House  of  Putiphar 108 

XX.  Joseph  in  Prison .         .         .111 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  b 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

XXI.  Joseph's  Exaltation 

XXII.  The  Sons  of  Jacob  go  into  Egypt 

XXIII.  Benjamin's  Journey  to  Egypt 

XXIV.  Joseph's  Silver  Cup     .         .         .         . 

XXV.  Joseph  makes  Himself  known  to  His  Brethren 

XXVI.  Jacob  goes  into  Egypt         .... 

XXVII.  The  Last  Words  of  Jacob  .... 

XXVIII.  Job's  Patience      .         .         .         .         . 


PAGE 
114 

120 
124 
127 
129 
132 
136 
140 


THE  AGE  OF  MOSES. 
From  the  year  1500-1450  B.  C. 

XXIX.   The  Birth  of  Moses 146 

XXX.    The  Flight  of  Moses 149 

XXXI.    The  Burning  Bush 151 

XXXII.   The  Ten  Plagues  of  Egypt          .         .         .         .         .  155 

XXXIII.  The  Paschal  Lamb.— Departure  from  Egypt       .         .  160 

XXXIV.  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea      .        .         .        .         .         .  166 

XXXV.   The  Miracles  Wrought  in  the  Desert          .         .         .  170 

XXXVI.    God  gives  the  Ten  Commandments  on  Mount  Sinai  .  175 

XXXVII.    The  Golden  Calf 180 

XXXVIII.   The  Making  of  the  Tabernacle    .         .         .         .         .  185 
XXXIX.    Laws  Regulating  Divine  Worship        .         .         .         .190 

XL.    The  Spies 199 

XLI.   The  Revolt  of  Core  and  His  Adherents      ...  204 

XLII.   The  Doubt  of  Moses.— The  Brazen  Serpent         .         .  207 

XLIII.   The  Prophecy  of  Balaam 212 

XL1V.    Parting  Advice  of  Moses.— His  Death         ...  215 

JOSUE  AND  THE  JUDGES. 

About  1450—1095  B.  C. 

XLV.    Entrance  of  the  Israelites  into  the  Promised  Land    .  219 

XLVI.   The  Judges.— Gedeon.— Samson           ....  224 

XLVH.    Ruth's  Affection  for  Her  Mother-in-Law     ...  235 

XLVIII.    Samuel.— Impiety  of  the  Sons  of  Heli         .         .         .  240 

THE  KINGS  (1095-588  B.  C). 

XLIX.   Saul  Elected  King  (1095  B.  C.)          ....  248 

L.    David,  the  Young  Shepherd 252 

LI.    David  fights  with  and  slays  Goliath  ....  256 

LI  I.    Friendship  of  Jonathan  and  David      .         .         .         .  260 

LIN.    David's  Noble  Conduct  towards  Saul           .         .         .  263 


CONTENTS. 


xxvil 


THE  GREATNESS  OF  THE  PEOPLE  OF  ISRAEL,  FROM  THE 

BEGINNING  OF  THE  REIGN  OF  DAVID  TO  THAT 

OF  ROBOAM. 


From  the  year  1055  to  975  B.  C. 

CHAPTER 

LIV.  David's  Piety.— His  Zeal  for  God's  Glory 

LV.  The  Prophecies  of  David     . 

LVI.  Revolt  and  Punishment  of  Absalom    . 

LVII.  David's  Last  Words.— His  Death 

LVI  1 1.  Solomon's  Prayer. — His  Wisdom 

LIX.  The  Building  and  Consecration  of  the  Temple 

LX.  Solomon's  Magnificence. — His  Sad  End 


PAGE 

269 

272 
275 
283 
287 
291 
296 


THIRD  EPOCH. 

DECLINE   OF   THE    PEOPLE   OF   ISRAEL.     FROM   THE  TIME 
OF  ROBOAM  TO  JESUS  CHRIST  (962  B.  C). 

LXT.   Division  of  the  Kingdom 301 

DECLINE  OF  THE  KINGDOM  OF  ISRAEL. 

LXII.    God  raises  up  Prophets.— Mission  of  the  Prophet  Elias  305 

LXIII.   The  Sacrifice  of  Elias 310 

LXIV.    Wickedness  of  Achab    and  Jezabel.— Their  Punishment  316 

LXV.    P^lias    taken    up    to    Heaven. — The    Prophet    Eliseus 

Chosen  to  succeed  Him 319 

LXVI.    The  Prophet  Jonas 330 

FINAL  OVERTHROW  OF   THE    KINGDOM  OF  ISRAEL  (718  B.  C). 

LXVII.   Tobias  during  the  Captivity  of  Babylon     .         .         .  336 
LXVIII.   Parting  Advice  of  Tobias  to  His  Son. — Departure  of 

Young  Tobias 343 

LXIX.    Tobias  returns  Home 348 

DECLINE  OF  THE  KINGDOM  OF  JUDA. 

LXX.   The  Prophets  Joel  and  Micheas  (790—730  B.  C.)     .  354 
LXXI.    King  Ozias,  wishing  to  usurp  the  Priestly  Functions, 

is  stricken  with  Leprosy  .....  356 

LXXI  I.   The  Prophecies  of  Isaias    (700  B.  C.)  358 

LXXI1I.    The  Pious  King  Ezechias  (723—694  B.  C.)        .         .  362 

LXXIV.   Judith  .  364 


XXVIII 


CONTENTS. 


THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY  (606-536  B.  C). 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

LXXV.   The  Babylonian  Captivity.— Fall   of  the  Kingdom  of 

Juda  (588  B.  C.) 370 

LXXVI.   Daniel  saves  Susanna 380 

LXXVII.    The  Prophet  Daniel.— The  Three  Young  Men   in  the 

Fiery  Furnace 385 

LXXVIII.    King  Baltassar.— The  God  Bel 393 

LXXfX.   Daniel  in  the  Lion's  Den 397 


AFTER  THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY. 
From    536   B.    C.    until    the    Birth    of    Christ. 

LXXX.  Return  of  the  Jews  from  Babylon  (536  B.  C.)  . 

LXXXI.  Esther 

LXXXII.  Translation  of  the  Old  Testament  into  Greek  (285  B.  C.) 

— Wise  Sayings  of  Jesus,  the  Son  of  Sirach 

LXXXIII.  The  Martyrdom  of  Eleazar  (168  B.  C.)       . 

LXXXIV.  The  Martyrdom  of  the  Seven  Machabees    . 

LXXXV.  Valiant  Exploits  of  Judas  Machabeus  (160  B.  C.) 

LXXX VI.  The  Last  Times  before  Christ      .... 


400 
404 

411 
415 
418 
423 
432 


FIRST  PART. 

THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


Knecht,  Commentary.    I. 


FIRST    EPOCH. 


THE  PRIMITIVE  AGES. 
From  Adam  to  Abraham  (about  4000 — 2100  b.  C). 

Chapter  I. 
THE  CREATION  OF  THE  WORLD. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

IN  the  beginning1  God  created  heaven  and  earth2.  The 
earth  was  void 3  and  empty 4 ;  darkness  was  on  the  face 
of  the  deep  5,  and  the  Spirit  of  God 6  moved  over  the  waters. 
God  said7:  "Be  light  made!"  and  light  was  made.  This  was 
the  first  day8. 

1  in  the  beginning  of  time.  —  2  i.  e.  both  the  visible  and  invisible 
worlds.    This  sentence  relates  to  the  whole  of  creation  generally ;  what 
follows,  to  the  creation  of  the  earth  in  particular.  —  3  which  means  i 
that  it  was  an  unformed  mass,  all  confusion  and  chaos.  —  4  without  , 
life  in  it,  or  without  any  plants,  animals,  or  men  on  it.  —  5  i.  e.  on  * 
the  unformed  mass  of  primeval  matter.     This   mass  was  wrapped  in 
gloom  and  darkness;  and,  being  soft  and  fluid,  is  styled  "the  waters".  — ^ 

6  The  Holy  Ghost  moved  over  the  unformed  mass  in  order  to  form 
it,  and   prepare  it   to   be   the   dwelling-place  of  men  and   beasts.  — 

7  or  commanded.  —  8  The  first  day,  or  the  first  period.  Holy  Scripture 
does  not  tell  us  the  length  of  this  period,  nor  is  it  necessary  for  our 
salvation  that  we  should  know. 

On  the  second  day  God  said:  "Let  there  be  a  firmament9 
made  amidst  the  waters;  and  let  it  divide10  the  waters 
from  the  waters."  And  it  was  so  n.  God  called  the  firma- 
ment heaven 12. 

9  in  other  words,  the  atmosphere  which  surrounds  our  earth  to  the 
height  of  about  45  miles,  and  looks  to  our  eyes  like  a  blue  dome.  — 
10  The  firmament  was  to  divide  one  part  of  the  waters  from  the  other  . 
part  in  this  way:    God  made  a  considerable  body  of  water  to  ascend, 


4  CHAPTER  I. 

in  the  form  of  moisture,  into  the  atmosphere,  thus  separating  it  from 
the  water  which  remains  and  flows  on  the  earth.  —  ll  i.  e.  it  was  as 
God  had  commanded.  —  12  This  is  not  the  heaven  where  the  angels 
and  saints  dwell,  and  contemplate  God.  A  distinction  must  be  made 
between  that  heaven,  and  the  visible,  natural  heaven,  i.  e.  the  firmament. 

On  the  third  day  God  said:  "Let  the  waters  that  are  under 
the  heaven 13  be  gathered  into  one  place  u ;  and  let  the  dry 
land  appear."  15  And  it  was  so  done.  God  called  the  dry 
land  earth;  and  the  gathered  waters  seas.  He  also  said: 
"Let  the  earth16  bring  forth  the  green  herb,  and  such  as 
may  seed 17,  and  the  fruit-tree  yielding  fruit  after  its  kind." 
And  it  was  so  done18. 

13  i.  e.  below  the  atmosphere,  or,  in  other  words,  the  waters  that 
are  on  the  earth.  —  u  This  one  place  is  the  great  ocean,  out  of  the 
midst  of  which  the  five  parts  of  the  earth  rear  themselves.  —  15  God 
made  the  water  to  gather  itself  together  into  rivers,  lakes,  and  seas, 
and  the  dry  land  to  appear.  How  this  happened  is  described  in 
Psalm  103,  6  and  8 :  "Above  the  mountains  shall  the  waters  stand  .  .  . 
The  mountains  ascend,  and  the  plains  descend  into  the  place  which 
Thou  hast  founded  for  them."  Until  the  third  day  of  creation,  the 
whole  earth  was  covered  with  water.  But  on  the  third  day  of  creation 
J  certain  parts  of  the  earth's  surface  raised  themselves  up.  These  became 
t  dry  because  the  water  ran  off  them ;  and  the  lower  parts  of  the 
.  earth's  surface ,  towards  which  the  water  flowed ,  became  the  sea. 
About  a  quarter  of  the  surface  of  the  globe  (accurately  27  per  cent)  is 
dry  land,  and  nearly  three  quarters  (accurately  73  per  cent),  water.  — 
16  which  was  now  dry.  —  17  i.  e.  all  sorts  of  plants.  —  18  God  made 
plants  of  every  kind  to  grow  out  of  the  dry  ground,  and  gave  them 
the  power  of  producing  their  own  seed.  From  these  seeds  there  sprang 
new  plants,  and  thus  the  world  of  plants  never  died  out. 

The  fourth  day  God  said:  "Let  there  be  lights  made  in 
the  firmament  of  heaven,  to  divide  the  day  and  the  night, 
and  let  them  be  for  signs,  and  for  seasons,  and  for  days 
and  years."  And  it  was  so  done.  God  made  the  sun,  moon, 
and  countless  stars,  and  set  them  in  the  firmament  of  heaven, 
to  shine  upon  the  earth 19,  and  to  rule  the  day  and  the  night. 

The  fifth  day  God  said:  "Let  the  waters  bring  forth  the 
creeping  creatures  having  life,  and  the  fowl  that  may  fly 
over  the  earth  under  the  firmament  of  heaven."  And  God 
created  fish  and  birds  of  every  kind,  and  He  blessed  them 
saying:  "Increase  and  multiply."20 


THE  CREATION  OF  THE  WORLD. 


19  God  made  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars,  to  give  light  to 
the  earth.  From  henceforth  now,  that  its  surface  had  cooled  and  the 
exhalations  which  surrounded  it  had  dispersed,  the  earth  was  to  receive 
light  and  warmth  from  the  sun.  The  heavenly  bodies  were  to  serve 
also  as  measures  of  time.  The  rising  of  the  sun  brings  day  to  the 
earth,  and  its  setting,  night.  According  to  the  relative  position  of  the 
sun  and  moon  to  the  earth,  time  is  divided  into  years,  and  seasons,  and 
months.  —  20  They  were  to  multiply  of  themselves,  ever  increasing 
in  number.  As  plants  propagate  themselves  by  means  of  their  seeds, 
so  birds  and  fishes  can,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  lay  eggs,  which  in 
their  turn  become  birds  and  fishes. 

On  the  sixth  day  God  said:  "Let  the  earth  bring  forth  the 
living  creature  in  its  kind:  cattle  and  creeping  things,  and 
beasts  of  the  earth  according  to  their  kinds."  And  it  was 
so  done  21.  At  last  God  created  man,  and  gave  him  dominion 
over  all  the  rest.  And  God  saw  all  the  works  that  He  had 
made,  and  they  were  very  good22.  The  seventh  day  God 
rested23,  and  He  blessed24  that  day25  and  made  it  holy26. 

21  i.  e.  God  created  the  mammals  which  are  the  highest  race  of 
beasts.  God  first  created  the  lower  and  then  the  higher  classes  of 
animals;  and,  last  of  all,  He  created  man,  the   highest  of  all  visible 


CHAPTER  I. 

creatures.  How  God  created  man  will  be  told  in  the  third  chapter.  — 
22  Everything  was  as  God's  goodness  and  wisdom  desired  it  to  be; 
everything  fulfilled  the  end  for  which  He  had  created  it.  He  disposed 
everything  in  such  a  way  that  nothing  could  be  better  or  more  exactly 
adapted  to  its  purpose  than  it  was.  —  23  Man  requires  rest  after  he  has 
worked  hard,  because  he  is  tired.  Can  God  then  be  tired?  No,  God 
could  create  thousands  of  worlds  without  being  tired.  The  words,  'He 
rested',  mean  this:  that  after  the  sixth  day,  after  the  creation  of 
man,  God  created  no  new  kind  of  being.  —  24  He  ordained  that  this  day 
should  bring  a  blessing  both  to  soul  and  body  on  those  who  keep  it 
holy.  —  25  What  was  the  seventh  day  called  in  the  Old  Testament? 
The  Sabbath,  or  day  of  rest.  —  26  It  was  to  be  a  day,  holy  and  con- 
secrated to  God. 

God  had  already  created  light  on  the  first  day,  but  this  light  was 
not  the  light  of  the  sun.  It  was  on  the  fourth  day  that  God  made 
the  sun,  to  be  the  giver  of  light  to  the  earth. 

God  made  light  first,  because  without  light  and  without  warmth, 
which  is  connected  with  it,  there  could  be  no  growth,  no  life,  no  order 
in  nature. 

God  made  the  atmosphere  on  the  second  day,  because  neither  plants, 
nor  animals,  nor  men  can  live  without  air.  Sound  also  is  impossible 
without  air,  so  that  without  it  there  could  have  been  neither  speech 
nor  hearing. 

On  the  third  day  God  made  the  earth  to  be  dry,  and  plants  to 
grow  on  it.  But  plants,  to  live  and  thrive,  require  something  besides 
light  and  air.  Therefore,  it  was  that  God  had  already  on  the  second 
day  caused  part  of  the  water  to  remain  in  the  air,  to  supply  the 
plants  with  moisture  from  above,  either  by  means  of  dew  or  rain. 

The  works  of  the  first  three  days,  and  those  of  the  last  three,  are 
thus  related  to  each  other: 


1st  day.  The  light. 
2nd  day.   The  atmosphere  which 
divided  the  waters. 

3rd  day.   The  dry  land. 

II.  Commentary. 


4th  day.    The  bodies  of  light. 

5th  day.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
air  and  water :  the  birds  and  fishes. 

6th  day.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
dry  land:  the  beasts  and  man. 


Time  began  with  the  world.  Onco,  nothing  existed  but 
the  Eternal  God  alone.  "Before  the  mountains  were  made, 
or  the  earth  and  the  world  was  formed,  from  eternity  and 
to  eternity  Thou  art  God"  (Ps.  89,  2).  Why  does  not  the 
Psalmist  say,  'Thou  wast  God',  instead  of  'Thou  art  God?' 
Because  God  is  Eternal.  He  is  not  subject  to  the  changes 
of  time,  for  with  God  there  is  no  past,  no  future,  nothing 


THE  CREATION  OF  THE  WORLD.  7 

but  an  everlasting  present.  "I  am  who  am",  God  said  to 
Moses"  (Old  Test.  XXXI,  3).  God  exists  of  and  by  Himself. 
Every  thing  else  is  made  by  God. 

God  is  Almighty.  God  created  the  whole  world,  visible 
and  invisible,  material  and  spiritual,  out  of  nothing  by  His 
almighty  will.  His  almighty  power  is  manifested  to  us  in 
creation.  By  His  word,  that  is,  by  His  will,  He  called  into 
existence  the  earth,  moon,  and  the  whole,  to  us,  immeasur- 
able universe,  with  its  millions  and  millions  of  heavenly 
bodies.  "God  spoke  and  they  were  made,  He  commanded 
and  they  were  created"  (Ps.  32,  9). 

God  tvorks  unceasingly.  What  then  do  the  words,  'He  rested 
on  the  seventh  day',  mean?  Has  God  done  nothing  more  since 
the  sixth  day?  Our  Lord  says:  "My  Father  works  till 
now  and  I  work"  (New  Test.  XXVI).  God  is  continually 
working  for  the  good  of  His  creatures,  for  only  He  who 
called  the  world  into  existence  can  sustain  and  govern  it. 
If  Almighty  God  were  to  withdraw  His  hand  from  the 
world,  at  that  moment  it  would  collapse  and  fall  into  ruin. 
Every  day,  every  hour  of  life  is  a   gift  of  Almighty  God. 

The  Sabbath.  With  the  creation  of  man,  God's  plan  of 
creation  was  completed,  and  the  great  work  of  His  creative 
love  was  crowned;  for  man  is  the  most  perfect  of  visible 
creatures.  Then  God  rested,  and  appointed  the  seventh  day 
for  man's  rest  in  Him.  On  the  Sabbath,  man  was  to  con- 
template the  wonders  of  creation,  and  the  preservation  and 
government  of  the  world,  and  to  praise  and  thank  God.  On 
this  account  the  seventh  day  is  also  called  "the  Lord's  day", 
i.  e.  the  day  set  apart  for  the  service  and  worship  of  God. 
On  this  day  we  ought  to  put  aside  all  worldly  business,  and 
think  only  of  our  souls  and  their  welfare,  for  in  God  alone 
can  our  souls  find  peace  and  rest.  The  commandment  to  keep 
holy  the  Sabbath  is  the  oldest  commandment  that  there  is. 
Ever  since  the  world  has  stood  as  it  is,  this  commandment 
has  stood  with  it.  The  law  was  given  by  God  at  the  creation 
of  the  world,  and,  therefore,  it  is  that  among  all,  even  heathen, 
nations  we  find  one  day  of  rest  observed  in  the  week.  It  is 
a  great  impiety  to  desecrate  God's  day. 


.</ 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Blessed  Trinity.  In  the  Old  Testament  God  did  not  reveal 
His  unity  in  three  Persons  very  clearly.  The  Israelites  were  so 
prone  to  the  worship  of  false  gods  that  they  might  easily  have  got  to 
look  on  the  three  Divine  Persons  as  three  distinct  gods.  But,  all  the 
same,  in  several  passages  of  the  Old  Testament  it  is,  as  it  were,  hinted 
that  there  are  more  Persons  than  one  in  God,  e.  g.  in  the  first  part  of 
the  history  of  the  creation:  "The  Spirit  of  God  moved  over  the  waters." 

The  Wisdom  of  God.  Holy  Scripture,  or,  in  other  words,  the  Holy 
Ghost,  says  explicitly  that  all  that  God  made  was  very  good.  Short- 
sighted man  should  not,  therefore,  be  audacious  enough  to  criticise 
God's  work.  Almighty  God  made  everything  to  fulfil  the  end  for 
which  He  destined  it.  The  whole  of  creation  testifies  to  the  wisdom 
of  God,  but  I  will  only  call  your  attention  to  one  or  two  instances. 
Rivers  and  streams,  many  of  which  are  of  considerable  breadth,  are 
ceaselessly  flowing  into  the  sea,  carrying  into  it,  even  in  one  single 
day,  a  tremendous  volume  of  water.  This  goes  on  all  the  year  round, 
and  has  been  going  on  for  thousands  of  years,  and  yet  the  sea  does 
not  overflow !  How  is  this  ?  God  has  so  made  it  that  as  much  water 
is  incessantly  rising  into  the  air  from  the  sea  as  is  being  poured  into 
it.  But  how  is  it,  then,  that  the  streams  and  rivers  do  not  dry  up  ? 
Whence  comes  that  volume  of  water  which  they  are  continuously 
pouring  into  the  sea  ?  The  mists  and  clouds  which  rise  from  the  sea 
are  driven  over  the  land  by  the  wind,  and  fall  back  on  the  earth  in 
the  form  of  either  dew,  fog,  rain  or  snow.  This  moisture  collects  in 
the  ground  and  forms  springs.  These  springs  feed  the  streams  and 
rivers  which  carry  the  water  back  again  to  the  sea.  It  is  owing  to 
this  continuous  circulation  of  water  that  the  sea  does  not  overflow,  or 
the  rivers  dry  up.  Moreover,  those  damp  exhalations  supply  the  air 
with  that  moisture  which  is  necessary  to  the  life  of  men  and  beasts, 
and  to  the  growth  of  plants.  One  thing  more.  You  know  that  Avater 
turns  putrid  when  it  remains  for  some  time  without  being  stirred. 
How  is  it  that  though  it  is  shut  in  one  place,  the  water  of  the  sea 
never  turns  putrid?  The  goodness  of  God  has  provided  against  this 
by  the  constant  motion  of  the  sea.  Twice  every  day  the  water  flows 
from  the  centre  of  the  sea  towards  the  shore,  and  back  again.  Besides 
this,  from  time  to  time  God  sends  winds  and  storms  which  stir  the 
sea  to  its  very  depths.  Such  phenomena  as  these  show  us  the  wonderful 
wisdom  manifested  in  the  creation  and  preservation  of  the  world.  In 
like  manner  all  other  creatures  bear  witness  to  the  wisdom  of  God. 
Bees,  ants,  ears  of  corn,  leaves  of  the  trees — in  a  word,  all  things 
teach  us  to  admire  His  wisdom.  Whether  we  contemplate  nature  in 
its  greater  or  lesser  aspects,  we  must  exclaim  with  David :  "How 
great  are  Thy  works,  0  Lord!  Thou  hast  made  all  things  in  wisdom. 
The  earth  is  filled  with  Thy  riches"  (Ps.  103,  24). 

The  infinite  Greatness  and  Majesty  of  God  are  also  revealed  to  us 
by  creation.     Think  how  enormous  this  earth  is!     It  is  24,869  miles 


THE  CREATION  OF  THE  WORLD.  9 

in  circumference;  its  surface  covers  196,000,000  square  miles;  its 
solidity  is  259  billions  of  cubic  miles.  Enormous  as  this  seems,  the 
sun  is  1,400,000  times  as  large  as  the  earth,  though  it  is  not  so  dense. 
The  number  of  stars,  most  of  which  can  be  seen  only  through  a 
telescope,  amounts  to  millions,  though  their  number  cannot  be  accurately 
fixed  by  man.  The  nearest  fixed  star  is  about  four  billions  (or  four 
million  millions)  of  miles  away  from  us.  If,  then,  the  universe  is  so 
great,  how  much  greater  must  He  be  who  called  all  these  spheres  into 
existence,  and  who  keeps  and  sustains  them  in  space,  pointing  out 
its  path  to  each  one !  He^'telleth  the  number  of  the  stars,  and  calleth 
them  all  by  their  names.  Great  is  our  Lord,  and  great  is  His  power, 
and  of  His  wisdom  there  is  no  number"  (Ps.  146,  4.  5).  Full  of 
awe  and  reverence  we  ought  to  pray  in  some  such  words  as  these: 
"Great  God,  we  praise  Thee!  We  praise  Thy  power,  O  Lord!  The 
earth  bows  down  before  Thee  in  wonder  at  Thy  works!  Even  as 
Thou  wast  in  all  time,  so  wilt  Thou  be  to  all  eternity.  Heaven  and 
earth,  sky  and  sea  are  full  of  Thy  glory.     All  things  are  Thine!" 

III.  Application. 

God  being  so  infinitely  great  and  wise,  we  ought  to  be 
filled  with  the  deepest  reverence  for  His  Divine  majesty. 
He  is,  indeed,  the  Eternal,  the  Most  High,  the  Creator  and 
Lord  of  the  whole  universe.  And  yet  how  little  reverence 
you  have  borne  Him  hitherto!  Have  you  not  often  prayed 
to  Him  carelessly?  Have  you  never  dishonoured  His  holy 
name?  Have  you  not  often  transgressed  His  commandments? 
Firmly  resolve,  then,  that  you  will  for  the  future  honour 
the  Lord  your  God  more,  and  serve  Him  more  zealously. 
We  pay  honour  to  God  by  often  thinking  about  Him  and  by 
adoring  Him  with  reverence  and  devotion.  St.  Patrick  used 
to  worship  God  on  his  knees  three  hundred  times  every  day. 
So,  think  more  about  your  Lord  and  Creator,  both  to-day  and 
for  the  future,  and  pray  to  Him  devoutly  and  from  your  heart. 
Let  everything  you  look  at  impel  you  to  say  thus  to  your- 
self: "I  praise  Thee,  O  great  God,  and  worship  Thy  power 
and  wisdom.  j*As  many  stars  as  there  are  in  the  heavens,  as 
many  flowers  as  grow  in  the  field,  as  many  leaves  as  there 
are  on  the  trees,  as  many  drops  as  there  are  in  the  ocean, 
so  many  times  may  God  be  praised  and  magnified!" 

God  made  the  earth  to  be  the  dwelling-place  of  man,  and 
has   adorned  it  for  him  with   divine    prodigality.     He   has 

1  ** 


10 


CHAPTER  II. 


given  us  much  more  than  is  necessary  for  our  existence. 
Are  the  numberless  flowers  which  grow,  necessary  for  life? 
.Could  we  not  live  without  the  many  sorts  of  fruit  that  there 
are?  Take  to  heart,  then,  how  good  and  generous  God  is 
towards  us.  Thank  Him  heartily  for  His  gifts,  and  resolve 
that  you  will  from  this  day  forward  say  your  grace  before 
and  after  meals  very  devoutly. 


Chapter  II. 

CREATION  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ANGELS. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

BESIDES  the  visible  world,  God  also  created  an  invisible 
world,  namely,  innumerable  spirits,  called  angels.    They 
were  all  good  and  happy  *,  and  endowed  with  excellent  gifts 

of  nature  and  grace2; 
but  they  did  not  all  con- 
tinue in  that  state,  for, 
being  possessed  of  a  free 
will,  a  great  many  of 
them  abused  it,  lost  the 
grace  of  God,  and  be- 
came wicked.  They  rebel- 
led against  God — Luci- 
fer, their  leader,  saying: 
"We  shall  be  like  unto 
the  Most  High ;  we  will 
place  our  throne  above 
the  stars."  Then,  there 
was  a  great  strife  in  hea- 
ven. Michael3  and  the 
other  angels  who  had 
remained  faithful  to  God, 
fought  against  the  bad 
and  rebellious  spirits, 
whose  chief  is  now  call- 
ed Satan ,  or  the  devil.  The  bad  angels  were  conquered, 
and    cast  from   heaven  down  to  hell.     The  angels  who  re- 


CREATION  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ANGELS.  11 

mained  faithful 4  were  rewarded  with  everlasting  happiness  5. 
They  ever  see  the  face  of  God  in  heaven. 

1  They  loved  and  wished  for  only  what  was  good,  and  pleased  God. 

2  God   has  endowed  them  with  such  pre-eminent  gifts   that  they  are 
superior   to  all  other  created   beings.     Their  chief  gifts   are   sublime  # 
understanding ,   great   strength ,  and ,  above  all,  sanctifying  grace.  —  / 

3  an  archangel ,  and  the  leader  of  the  good  angels.  —  4  faithful  to  ' 
whom?  To  the  Lord  God.  —  5  The  angels  had  been  happy  from  the 
beginning,  but  their  happiness  was  not  always  complete,  because  it 
could  be  lost.  As  we  have  seen,  it  was  lost  by  the  bad  angels.  But 
after  the  good  angels  had  proved  steadfast,  and  had  overthrown  the 
bad  angels,  they  received  as  a  reward  the  supernatural  and  eternal 
happiness  of  heaven,  which  they  could  never  again  lose. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  angelic  nature,  and  the  infinite  Perfections  of  God.  The 
angels  are  spirits;  God  is  also  a  Spirit,  but  there  is  an  in- 
finite difference  between  Almighty  God,  and  the  highest  angel. 
The  angels  have  a  sublime  understanding,  great  wisdom,  and 
much  knowledge,  but  neither  understanding,  wisdom,  nor* 
knowledge  is  infinite.  Their  wills  are  holy,  and  are  much 
more  powerful  than  ours,  but  they  are  not  infinitely  holy. 
Nor  are'  the  angels  almighty.  They  have  received  all  their 
great  qualities  from  God.  He  has  all  His  perfections  of  Him- 
self, and  from  all  eternity :  the  angels  were  created  by  God  in 
the  beginning  of  time,  and  received  everything  from  Him. 
The  angels  are,  indeed,  wondrously  perfect,  but  they  are  not 
infinitely  perfect.  Their  perfections  have  a  limit,  a  measure, 
a  number.  God's  perfections,  on  the  other  hand,  are  infinitely 
great,  without  limit,  measure,  or  number. 

The  office  of  the  Angels.  Like  everything  else,  the  angels 
were  created  for  the  honour  and  glory  of  God.  They  love  : 
and  praise  God,  and  fulfil  His  holy  will  without  ceasing.  Hence  i 
the  meaning  of  the  words  in  the  Our  Father:  "Thy  will 
be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven."  The  name  angel  signi- 
fies messenger  or  envoy;  this  name  being  given  to  the  good 
spirits,  because  God  sends  them  to  take  care  of  men  and 
make  known  to  them  His  will.  The  angels,  being  pure  spirits, 
cannot  be  seen  with  our  bodily  eyes,  but  if  it  is  God's  will 


12  CHAPTER  II. 

that  men  should  see  and  hear  them,  when  they  are  sent  as 
messengers  from  Him,  they  are  able  to  assume  a  human 
form.  Take,  for  example,  the  holy  Archangel  Gabriel  who 
appeared  to  Zachary  and  to  our  Lady. 

Pictures  of  Angels  (see  p.  5).  You  have  often  seen  pictures  of  the 
holy  angels.  There  are  several  of  them  in  Schuster's  Bible  History 
(revised  by  Mrs.  J.  Sadlier.  New  Edition).  Look  at  the  picture  on 
page  2.  How  are  the  angels  represented  there?  As  boys  with  wings, 
two  of  them  playing  on  harps.  On  page  222,  theTioly  Archangel 
Gabriel  is  represented  as  a  youth  with  wings,  holding  a  lily  in  his 
hand,  and  with  a  glory  round  his  head.  Why  should  they  be  drawn 
like  that  ?  They  are  represented  as  boys  or  youths,  because  they  never 
grow  old,  but  are  everlastingly  young,  and  are  immortal.  The  wings 
signify  that  the  angels  are  swift  as  thought,  and  fulfil  God's  commands 
quickly  and  willingly.  The  harps  are  to  remind  us  that  the  angels 
ceaselessly  sing  God's  praises.*"  The  lily  signifies  their  purity,  and  the 
glory,  their  heavenly  splendour.  Very  often  angels  are  pictured  as 
children's  heads  without  bodies,  to  signify  that  they  have  understanding 
and  free-will,  but  that  they  are  spirits  without  bodies. 

! .    God  is  good.    Of  His  love  God  created  the  angels ,  and 
J  loaded  them  with  natural  and  supernatural  gifts. 

God  is  just.  God's  justice  is  shown  to  us  by  the  punish- 
ment of  the  bad  angels  and  the  reward  of  the  good.  How 
did  God  punish  the  bad  angels?  For  how  long  must  they 
remain  in  hell?  For  ever  and  ever!  They  must  suffer  ever- 
lasting torments !  They  are  rejected  by  God  and  are  banished 
from  Him  for  ever  and  ever!  They  hardened  themselves 
against  Him,  therefore,  repentance  was  impossible.  "God 
A  spared  not  the  angels  that  sinned :  but  delivered  them,  drawn 
down  by  infernal  ropes  to  the  lower  hell,  unto  torments  to 
be  reserved  unto  judgment"  (2  Pet.  2,  4). 

The  evil  of  mortal  sin.  God  punishes  according  to  our  de- 
serts: He  never  punishes  too  severely.  If,  therefore,  He 
condemned  the  fallen  angels  to  the  eternal  torments  of  hell, 
we  can  see  what  a  terrible  evil  sin  is  in  His  sight.  One 
single  mortal  sin  deserves  everlasting  punishment. 

The  consequences  of  sin.  Just  think  what  befell  the  angels 
through  sin!  Before  their  fall  they  were  the  friends  and 
beloved  of  God,  most  beautiful,  most  holy,  full  of  the  love 


CREATION  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ANGELS.  13 

of  what  is  good,  and  rich  in  their  happiness  and  glory.  But 
since  their  fall  they  have  been  enemies  of  God,  horrible, 
hideous ,  and  eternally  miserable  devils !  Who ,  after  con- 
templating this  ruin  caused  by  sin,  could  possibly  think  that 
sin,  and  especially  mortal  sin,  is  a  trifle  which  God  will  not 
deal  with  severely  ?  No !  mortal  sin,  far  from  being  a  trifle, 
is  the  greatest  of  all  evils.  It  changed  angels  into  devils, 
and  cast  them  into  hell! 

Pride.  What  was  the  cause  of  the  fallen  angels'  diso- 
bedience ?  Instead  of  giving  glory  to  God,  from  Whom  they 
had  received  all  things,  they  became  proud  of  their  great 
gifts,  and,  with  their  leader,  said:  "We  will  ascend  above 
the  heights  of  the  clouds,  we  will  be  like  the  Most  High", 
(Is.  14,  14).  Therefore,  Holy  Scripture  says:  "Pride  is  the 
beginning  of  all  sin"  (Ecclus.  10,  15). 

Happiness  of  the  Angels.  Almighty  God  richly  rewarded 
those  angels  who  remained  faithful.  They  gaze  upon  Him 
face  to  face,  they  rejoice  unceasingly  in  His  infinite  beauty 
and  majesty,  and  are  thereby  made  inexpressibly  happy. 
They  have  lived  in  this  state  of  rapture  for  thousands  of 
years,  and  will  do  so  for  all  eternity.  It  is  thus  that  God 
rewards  those  who  are  faithful  to  Him,  and  overcome  evil. 

The  number  of  the  Angels  created  by  God  is  inconceivably  great. 
The  prophet  Daniel  saw  them  in  spirit,  and  wrote  thus:  "Thousands 
of  thousands  ministered  to  Him  (i.  e.  to  God),  and,  ten,  thousand  times 
a  hundred  thousand  stood  before  Him"  (Dan.  7,  10).  The  prophet 
means  by  these  words  that  the  angels  cannot  be  counted.  And  as 
the  stars  in  heaven  vary  in  size  and  splendour,  so  are  there  differences 
of  degree  among  the  holy  angels.  They  are  divided  into  nine  choirs, 
according  to  each  one's  degree  of  wisdom,  power  and  glory.  These  . 
are,  beginning  with  the  lowest:  Angels,  Archangels,  Virtues,  Powers, 
Principalities,  Dominations,  Thrones,  Cherubim,  Seraphim. 

Probation  of  the  Angels.  The  angels  are  by  their  nature  like  to 
God,  being  highly  gifted  and  pure  spirits.  To  these  natural  gifts  God 
added  the  supernatural  gift  of  sanctifying  grace,  by  means  of  which 
they  became  thoroughly  holy,  and  wonderfully  beautiful.  Their  state 
was,  even  at  first,  one  of  great  happiness;  but  by  faithfulness  in  the 
service  of  God  they  were  capable  of  winning  for  themselves  an  eternal 
and  supernatural  happiness.  God  will  not  have  any  forced  service ;  so 
He  gave  to  the  angels   the    gift  of  free-will,  by  which  they  were  at 


14  CHAPTER  II. 

liberty  to  choose  between  good  and  evil,  and  could  freely  side  either 
with  God  or  against  Him.  When  the  decisive  moment  came,  a  portion 
of  the  angels  made  a  bad  use  of  their  freedom,  rebelled  against  God, 
lost  sanctifying  grace ,  and  were  cast  into  hell ,  their  wills  having 
become  perverted  and  bad.  But  the  good  angels,  who  stood  the 
trial,  were  admitted  into  the  immediate  Presence  of  God,  and  were 
confirmed  for  ever  in  supernatural  happiness. 

III.  Application. 

God  is  just  and  punishes  sin.  How  is  it,  then,  that  you 
think  so  little  of  sinning  and  offending  God?  You  are  still 
young,  but  you  have  committed  many  sins,  and  have  de- 
served punishment  at  God's  hands.  Repent,  therefore,  of  your 
sins,  ask  pardon  of  God,  and  never  say  again  to  yourself: 
"It  is  only  a  trifle!"  It  never  could  be  a  trifle  to  intention- 
ally offend  the  great,  holy  and  just  God !  Resolve,  then,  most 
firmly  never  again  to  sin  wilfully.  If  you  are  ever  tempted 
to  commit  a  mortal  sin,  think  of  the  fallen  angels  and  their 
eternal  torment.  Die  rather  than  commit  a  mortal  sin !  Fear 
the  just  God,  and  keep  His  commandments  faithfully. 

The  fall  of  the  bad  angels  should  be  a  warning  to  you, 
and  the  faithfulness  of  the  good  angels  should  be  an  en- 
couragement to  you.  If  you  are  disobedient  to  God,  and 
do  not  observe  His  laws,  and  if  you  think  slightly  of  sin, 
you  will  some  day  join  the  lost  spirits  in  hell.  But  if  you 
are  faithful  in  the  service  of  God,  and  guard  against  sin 
as  much  as  you  can,  you  will  some  day  join  the  angels  in 
their  everlasting  happiness.  Which  of  the  two  have  you 
imitated  hitherto,  the  good  or  the  bad  angels? 

Above  all  things  guard  against  pride ;  it  is,  as  Holy  Scrip- 
ture says,  hateful  before  God  and  men  (Ecclus.  10,  7).  Do 
not  be  conceited  or  vain  about  your  clothes,  or  your  appear- 
ance, or  your  knowledge,  or  your  parents'  position,  but 
give  glory  to  God  in  all  things ;  for  you  have  received  every- 
thing from  Him.  The  more  God  has  given  you,  the  more 
you  should  thank  Him.  Drive  away  all  vain  thoughts,  and 
say  thus  very  often:  " Every  good   gift   comes   from  Thee, 

0  God.     I  thank  Thee   for  all   that   I  am  and  for  all  that 

1  have!" 


CREATION  OF  THE  FIRST  MAN.  15 

Chapter  III. 

CREATION  OF  THE  FIRST  MAN.— PARADISE.— THE 
FIRST  COMMANDMENT.— CREATION  OF  EVE. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

WHEN  God  created  man,  He  said:  "Let  Us  make  man1 
to  Our  image  and  likeness  2,  and  give  him  dominion 3 
over  all  animals  and  over  the  whole  earth."  He,  then,  formed4 
a  human  body  of  the  slime  of  the  earth,  breathed  into  his  face 
the  breath  of  life 5,  and  man  became  a  living  soul 6.  At  the 
same  moment  God  added  to  the  nature  of  man  many  fa- 
vours, and,  especially,  sanctifying  grace.  Thus  was  made  the 
first  man,  who  was  named  Adam,  that  is  to  say,  man  taken 
from  the  earth.  By  his  nature,  man  was  the  image  of  God ; 
by  grace,  he  was  the  likeness  of  God. 

1  i.  e.  We  will  make.  When  God  called  into  existence  the  rest 
of  the  visible  world,  He  simply  said:  "Let  it  be!"  But  when  He 
willed  to  make  man,  He  took,  as  it  were,  counsel  with  Himself,  and 
said:  "Let  Us  make  &c."  Is  it,  then,  necessary  for  God  to  consider 
and  ponder  how  to  act  for  the  best?  No,  indeed !  Then,  why  did  He 
speak  in  that  way  before  creating  man?  It  was  in  order  to  prove 
that  man  was  not  to  be  like  other  visible  creatures,  but  was  to  be 
their  superior,  the  first  among  them  all.  —  2  Let  him  be  a  picture 
or  image**of  Us,  und  like  unto  Us.  —  3  i.  e.  be  lord  over.  —  4  To 
form  means  to  make  something  skilfully.  God  Himself  made  the  human 
body  most  perfectly  out  of  the  earth.  —  5  The  soul,  therefore,  is  not 
made  from  the  earth,  but  is  a  breath  of  God.  —  6  By  what  means  did 
man  become  a  living  being?  God  breathed  a  soul  into  the  human 
body.  The  soul  is  the  cause  of  the  body's  life;  without  it  the  body 
cannot  live.   When  the  soul  is  separated  from  the  body,  the  body  dies. 

By  a  special  effect  of  His  goodness  the  Lord  God  created 
expressly  for  man  a  garden  of  pleasure ,  called  Paradise  7. 
There  were  in  it  all  sorts  of  beautiful  trees,  covered  with 
delicious  fruit;  and  in  the  middle  of  the  garden  stood  the 
Tree  of  life8,  and  the  Tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and 
evil9.  A  river,  divided  into  four  branches,  watered  the 
whole  garden.  It  was  in  this  garden  of  delights  that  God 
placed  man,  that  he  might  cultivate  it  for  his  own  pleasure 
and  occupation10.  God, then,  commanded11  man,  saying:  "Of 
every  tree  of  Paradise  thou  shalt  eat,  but  of  the  Tree  of  the 


16  CHAPTER  III. 

knowledge  of  good  and  evil  thou  shalt  not  eat ;  for  in  what 
day  soever  thou  shalt  eat  of  it,  thou  shalt  die  the  death."  12 

7  This  Paradise  was  on  earth  (in  Asia),  for  which  reason  it  is  called 
the  earthly  paradise.  Heaven,  the  place  of  eternal  happiness,  is  also 
called  paradise,  but  it  is  the  supernatural  and  heavenly  paradise.  — 
8  The  tree  was  thus  named,  because  it  preserved  the  body  of  man  from 
sickness  and  death,  and  made  it  immortal.  —  9  This  other  tree  was  so 
named,  because  if  man  ate  of  it  he  would,  of  himself,  and  by  his  own 
experience,  know  the  difference  between  good  and  evil.  —  ,0  In  Paradise 
man  worked  for  his  own  pleasure,  and  devoted  his  strength  to  the  care 
"o"F  the  beautiful  garden  of  delights.  —  n  Almighty  God  imposed  a  com- 
""rhand  on  man,  in  order  to  prove  whether  he  were  thankful  and  obedient. 
This  command  was  very  easy  to  obey,  because  there  was  an  abundance 
of  every  kind  of  fruit  in  the  garden.  —  12  i.  e,  become  mortal ,  or 
subject  to  death.  God  added  this  threat  to  ensure  the  keeping  of  the 
command.  By  the  threatened  penalty  of  death  it  was  easy  for  man  to 
perceive  how  great  his  sin  would  be  if  he  ate  the  forbidden  fruit. 

Adam  was  still  alone  on  the  earth.  Hence  God  said:  "It 
is  not  good  for  man  to  be  alone 13 ;  let  Us  make  him  a  help 
like  unto  himself."  Then,  God  caused  all  the  animals  to 
come  before  Adam,  that  he  might  give  to  each  its  name. 
But  for  Adam  there  was  not  found  a  help  like  to  himself; 
therefore,  casting  a  deep  sleep  u  upon  Adam,  God  took  one 
of  his  ribs  and  formed  of  it  a  woman.  When  Adam  awoke 
God  brought  to  him  his  wife;  and  Adam  rejoiced  to  see 
another  being  like  himself.  He  called  her  Eve,  that  is,  the 
mother  of  the  living15. 

13  It  is  not  good  for  man  to  be  alone.  He  cannot  converse  or 
entertain  himself  with  the  beasts,  for  they  have  no  reason,  and  cannot 
speak.  Therefore,  God  said  that  He  would  give  him  a  companion  like 
unto  himself,  one  who  would  have  the  same  nature,  i.  e.  a  human  body 
and  soul  such  as  Adam  had.  Before  God  formed  Eve,  He  called  all 
the  beasts  of  paradise  to  Adam,  so  that  1.  Adam  might  exercise  his 
dominion  over  them  by  giving  to  each  one  a  name  suitable  to  its 
character;  2.  to  prove  to  him  that  none  of  the  animals  were  like 
himself,  and  that  his  nature  was  far  higher  than  theirs;  3.  so  that  Adam, 
by  finding  himself  lonely  in  the  midst  of  all  the  beasts,  might  feel  the 
want  of  a  companion  like  himself,  and  might  be  the  more  grateful  to 
God  for  creating  Eve.  —  "  It  was  a  sleep  of  ecstacy,  during  which  he 
was  aware  of  the  significance  of  God's  action,  both  to  himself  and  to 
all  future  generations.  —  15  i.  e.  of  all  men.  Adam  is  the  father,  and 
Eve  the  mother  of  all  men,  because  all  men  are  descended  from  them 


CREATION  OF  THE  FIRST  MAN.  17 

II.  Commentary. 

God  is  good.  To  know  this  you  have  only  to  count  up 
the  benefits  and  graces  which  He  conferred  on  Adam  and  Eve. 

The  twofold  likeness  to  God.  Man  is  the  first  among  all 
God's  creatures  on  earth,  because  he  was  created  to  the 
image  of  God,  and  is,  therefore,  like  unto  Him.  This  likeness 
is,  however,  a  twofold  one,  a  natural  and  a  supernatural 
one,  for  which  reason  the  two  words,  image  and  likeness, 
are  used.  For  something  to  be  the  image  of  a  person  or 
of  some  other  thing,  it  must  be,  to  a  certain  degree,  like 
that  person  or  thing;  but  "likeness"  signifies  a  still  closer 
degree  of  resemblance.  If  one  person  is  almost  the  same 
as  another,  we  say  they  are  alike.  Thus  the  word  "image" 
applies  to  the  natural,  and  "likeness"  to  the  supernatural 
resemblance  of  man  to  God.  The  natural  likeness  of  man 
to  God  consists  in  this,  that  man  has  a  spirit,  called  his 
soul,  which  lives  in  his  body,  and  which  makes  his  body 
live.  This  soul  is  immortal,  reasonable,  and  gifted  with 
free-,wjll.  By  these  three  qualities,  it  is,  in  a  measure,  like 
unto  God ,  Who  is  eternal ,  Whose  intelligence  is  supreme, 
and  Whose  will  is  infinitely  free.  These  gifts  are  called 
natural  gifts,  because  they  belong  to  the  nature  of  the  human 
soul,  and  cannot  be  lost  by  it,  though  they  can  be  marred 
and  disfigured.  The  first  man's  supernatural  likeness  to  God 
consisted  in  those  gifts  which  do  not  belong  to  the  nature 
of  man,  but  soar  far  above  it,  for  which  reason  they  are 
called  supernatural  gifts.  The  chief  among  these  gifts  was 
sanctifying  grace.  The  Holy  Ghost  dwelt  in  the  soul  of  the 
first  man,  who  became  thereby  a  child  of  God  and  an  heir 
to  heaven;  or  in  other  words,  he  was  sure  of  heaven  so 
long  as  he  remained  in  a  state  of  grace.  By  this  grace  the 
soul  of  man  was  made  very  beautiful,  nearly  as  beautiful 
as  are  the  angels  in  heaven.  Moreover,  the  Holy  Ghost 
raised  the  natural  powers  of  the  human  soul,  and  gifted  it 
with  great  knowledge,  so  that  man  knew  God  and  His  ways 
much  better  than  he  could  possibly  have  known  them  other- 
wise. He  sanctified  man's  free-will  so  that  he  not  only 
desired  what  was  good,  but  had  no  inclination  towards  what 


KJ 


18  CHAPTER  III. 

was  evil.  The  body  of  the  first  man  also  possessed  super- 
natural gifts.  The  natural  body  is  frail  and  subject  to  sick- 
ness and  death,  because  it  is  made  from  the  earth,  and,  like 
every  other  earthly  thing,  is  perishable.  But  so  long  as 
the  first  man  remained  in  a  state  of  grace,  his  body  was 
immortal,  and  free  from  all  sickness  and  need  of  labour.  If 
our  first  parents  had  remained  in  a  state  of  grace,  they  would 
not  have  died,  but  would  have  been  translated,  body  and 
soul,  from  the  earthly  to  the  heavenly  paradise. 

\j  The  body  of  man,  indeed,  bears  no  likeness  to  God,  for 
God  has  no  body;  but  all  the'same  it  has  high  prerogatives. 
It  is  the  dwelling-place  and  instrument  of  an  immortal  soul. 
It  is  more  delicate  and  beautiful,  more  complete  and  better 
adapted  to  every  kind  of  work  than  the  bodies  of  any  of 
the  beasts.  It  stands  erect,  and  raises  its  eyes  to  the  heaven 
for  which  man  was  created.  It  is  the  masterpiece  of  the 
visible  creation.  Man  should,  therefore,  hold  his  body  in 
honour  and  not   pollute  it  by  sin.     "Glorify  and  bear  God 

An  your  body"  (1  Cor.  6,  20). 

Man   is   made  to  rule  over  the   beasts   and  over  the  whole 
earth.    The  earth  belongs  to  God.    "The  earth  is  the  Lord's, 

'and  the  fulness  thereof,  the  world  and  all  they  that  dwell 

^therein"  (Ps.  23,  1).  But  He  has  made  it  over  to  man  that 
he  may  use  its  good  things  according  to  God's  will.  The 
rivers  and  mountains,  the  fields  and  woods,  the  plants  and 
beasts,  were  made  for  the  use  of  man,  for  the  preservation 
and  beautifying  of  his  life ;  and  in  order  that  he  may  utilize 
them  for  good  works.  But  we  must  use  the  good  things 
of  this  earth,  such  as  gold,  silver,  meat,  drink  etc.,  for  a 
good  end,  and  not  misuse  them.  We  should  rule  over  the 
^things  of  this  world,  aj^d_not  make  ourselves  their  slave. 
'Mike,  for  instance,  the  miser,  who  is  not  master  of  his  pos- 
sessions, but  is  their  slave.  Our  thoughts  and  aspirations 
should  soar  beyond  this  world  towards  those  things  which 
are  supernatural  and  eternal.  We  must  make  such  use  of 
earthly  treasures,  as  not  by  their  abuse  to  lose  everlasting 
treasures.  It  is,  moreover,  God's  will  that  man  should  have 
dominion  over  the  beasts,  but  it  is  not  God's  will   that  he 


CREATION  OF  THE  FIRST  MAN.  19 

should   be   cruel   to   them.     "The  just   regardeth  the   lives   ■ 
of  his   beasts,  but  the   bowels   of   the   wicked   are   cruel"  * 
(Prov.  12,  10).    Therefore,  be  on  your  guard  against  cruelty 
to  animals! 

Twofold  death.  By  the  words,  "What  day  thou  eatest 
thereof  thou  shalt  die  the  death",  Almighty  God  threatened 
man  with  a  twofold  death,  the  death  of  the  soul  and  the  death 
of  the  body.  This  last  did  not  take  place  immediately  after 
the  sin  was  committed,  for  Adam  lived  on  earth  till  he  was 
930  years  old ;  but  all  the  same,  from  the  moment  he  sinned 
his  body  became  liable  to  death.  The  death  of  the  soul, 
on  the  contrary,  took  place  the  very  instant  the  sin  was 
committed.  A  distinction  must,  of  course,  be  made  between 
the  natural  and  the  supernatural  life  of  the  soul.  It  cannot 
lose  its  natural  life,  because  it  is  immortal;  but  it  loses  its 
supernatural  life,  its  life  of  grace  and  friendship  with  God, 
the  moment  it  commits  a  grievous  sin.  The  loss  of  grace 
is  the  soul's  spiritual  death,  and  leads  to  its  eternal  death, 
on  which  account  grievous  sins,  which  cause  the  spiritual 
death  of  the  soul,  are  called  mortal  sins. 

The  Blessed  Trinity.  The  words,  "Let  Us  make  &c",  imply 
that  there  are  more  Persons  than  one  in  God. 

The  unity  of  the  human  race.  Why  did  God  form  Eve  out  of  one  of 
Adam's  ribs  ?  Firstly,  because  all  mankind,  even  Eve,  was  to  proceed 
from  Adam.  Secondly,  because  husband  and  wife  ought  to  belong  to 
one  another,  and  to  be  but  one  heart  and  soul  by  their  love  and  unity. 

The  happiness  of  Heaven.  The  life  of  our  first  parents  in 
the  earthly  paradise  was  a  type  of  the  life  of  the  blessed 
in  heaven.  They  were  perfectly  happy  in  Paradise.  Peace 
reigned  within  and  around  them,  because  they  were  at  peace 
with  God.  They  had  abundance  of  everything ;  they  knew  no 
pain,  no  want,  no  vexation,  and  lived  in  undisturbed  joy  and 
friendship  with  God  and  with  each  another.  So  also  the  life 
of  the  blessed  in  heaven  is  one  of  supreme  happiness :  there 
is  no  complaint  nor  sorrow  there,  nothing  but  peace,  joy  and 
glory !  In  the  earthly  paradise  God  held  intercourse  with  our 
first  parents,  as  a  father  does  with  his  children.  In  heaven 
the  blessed  gaze  on  God  face   to   face,  and  are  united   to 


20  CHAPTER  III. 

Him  by  the  closest  love.  But  now  comes  the  difference! 
The  happiness  of  the  earthly  paradise  could  be  lost,  but  the 
happiness  of  the  blessed  in  heaven  must  be  theirs  for  ever. 

The  probation  of  man.  Man,  like  the  angels,  was  gifted  with  free- 
will, and  like  them  he  had  to  undergo  a  probation.  God  gave  him 
a  command,  by  means  of  which  he  could  freely  choose  either  to  side 
with  Him  or  against  Him.  Adam  being  the  representative  and  father 
of  the  human  race,  there  rested  on  his  decision  not  only  his  own  fate 
but  the  fate  of  all  his  posterity.  An  illustration  of  this  we  see  in  the 
case  of  a  father  who,  by  gambling  away  his  fortune,  makes  his 
children  losers  as  well  as  himself. 

Marriage.  When  God  gave  Eve  to  Adam  to  be  his  companion  and 
pronounced  His  blessing  on  both,  He  instituted  marriage.  Being 
instituted  by  God,  it  is  in  any  case  a  holy  state,  but  Jesus  Christ 
sanctified  it  still  more  and  raised  it  to  be  a  Sacrament.  God  Himself 
joins  man  and  wife.  "What  God  hath  joined  together  let  no  man  put 
asunder"  (Mat.  19,  6).  Marriage,  therefore,  is  indissoluble,  i.  e.  a  man 
and   his  wife  must  remain  joined  together  till  death. 

The  man  is  the  head  of  the  family.  God  Himself  named  Adam,  but 
it  was  Adam  who  gave  Eve  her  name.  Why  did  God  ordain  this 
so?  Because  the  husband  is  the  head  of  the  wife,  and  the  wife  is 
to  obey  her  husband. 

The  Tree  of  knowledge  a  type  of  the  Cross  of  Christ.  As  by  the  Tree 
of  knowledge  it  was  to  be  decided  whether  man  would  choose  good  or 
evil,  so  is  Christ  the  Crucified  "set  for  the  fall  and  for  the  resurrection 
of  many"  (Luke  2,  34).  They  who  believe  in  Him  crucified,  and  follow 
Him  will  obtain  eternal  life;  but  those  who  will  not  believe  in  the 
crucified  Saviour,  and  will  not  follow  Him  will  be  eternally  lost.  The 
devil  conquered  by  means  of  the  Tree  of  knowledge;  but  by  the  Cross 
he  was  conquered.  With  the  one,  sin  began ;  with  the  other,  redemption 
and  salvation. 

The  Tree  of  life  a  type  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Even  as  the  life 
of  the  body  was  preserved  by  this  tree,  so  by  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
grace,  the  supernatural  life  of  the  soul,  is  increased  and  preserved  in 
it,  and  the  soul  made  worthy  of  everlasting  life.  "  If  any  man  eat  of 
this  bread  he  shall  live  forever",  said  our  Lord  (New  Test.  XXXIV). 
[About  the  Tree  of  life  in  the  paradise  of  heaven,  see  Appendix, 
New  Testament.] 

III.  Application. 

God's  goodness  to  man  is  infinitely  great.  Just  think  how 
He  has  singled  him  out  and  raised  him!  He  created  him 
to  His  own  image,  and  appointed  the  whole  earth  for  his 
use.    He  gave  him  an  immortal  soul  and  sanctifying  grace, 


THE  FALL  OF  OUR  FIRST  PARENTS.  21 

placed  him  in  the  beautiful  garden  of  Paradise,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  this  gave  him  the  promise  of  eternal  happiness  in 
heaven;  for  man  was  intended  to  occupy  those  thrones  in 
heaven  which  the  fallen  angels  had  lost.  And  all  this  was 
destined  not  only  for  the  first  man,  but  for  all  his  posterity! 
Just  think,  then,  how  loving  were  God's  intentions  towards 
man!  "Praise  the  Lord,  for  He  is  good,  for  his  mercy  en- 
dureth  for  ever!"  (Ps.  117,  1.)  "Let  us,  therefore,  love  God, 
because  God  first  hath  loved  us"  (1  John  4,  19).  Whatever 
you  may  be  doing  to-day  say:  UI  love  Thee,  0  my  God!" 

Chapter  IV. 

Part  I. 

THE  FALL  OF  OUR  FIRST  PARENTS. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 
F  all  the  animals  that  God  had  placed  upon  the  earth, 


o 


none  was  more  cunning  than  the  serpent  *.  Hence  the 
devil,  who  was  envious  of  the  happiness  of  our  first  parents, 
made  use  of  him  in  order  to  seduce  them.  Eve,  prompted 
by  curiosity,  approaching  the  forbidden  tree,  saw  a  serpent 
near  it.  He  began  to  speak2,  and  said  to  her:  "Why  has 
God  commanded  you 3  that  you  should  not  eat  of  every  tree 
of  Paradise?"4  Eve  answered:  "Of  the  fruit  of  the  trees 
of  Paradise  we  do  eat;  but  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which 
is  in  the  midst  of  Paradise,  God  has  commanded  us  that 
we  should  not  eat,  and  that  we  should  not  touch  it5,  lest, 
perhaps,  we  die."6  The  serpent  said  to  the  woman:  "No, 
surely  you  shall  not  die  7  if  you  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree ; 
but,  rather 8,  your  eyes  shall  be  opened 9,  and  you  shall  be  as 
gods 10,  knowing  good  and  evil."  Hearing  this,  Eve  gave  way  < 
to  pride,  and  she  saw  that  the  fruit  was  good  and  pleasant 
to  behold.  She  took  and  ate  of  the  fruit,  and  gave  to  her 
husband,  and  he  also  ate.  Thus  was  the  first  sin  committed. 

1  The  devil,  full  of  envy  at  the  happiness  possessed  by  Adam  and 
Eve,  and  made  more  envious  still  by  the  thought  that  they  were 
intended  to  attain  to  the  everlasting  happiness  which  he  himself  had 
forfeited,  made  use  of  the  serpent  by  entering  into  it  and  speaking  by 


22  CHAPTER  IV.     PART  I. 

its  mouth.  God  allowed  him  no  other  tool,  and,  indeed,  the  cunning 
serpent  suited  him  admirably  for  his  spiteful  and  evil  purpose.  — 
2  The  serpent,  into  which  the  devil  had  entered,  spoke.  —  3  Satan  did 
'  not  betray  his  intention  by  saying  at  once :  "Eat  of  the  fruit",  but  he 
/began  by  cunningly  asking:  "Why  &c. ?"  in  order  that  Eve  might  be 
i  induced  to  hesitate  and  question  whether  the  prohibition  to  eat  of  the 
Tree  of  knowledge  were  a  legitimate  one,  and  whether  God  had  really 
meant  it.  Eve  knew  that  an  ordinary  snake  can  neither  reason  nor 
speak;  so  she  must  have  known  that  it  was  some  spirit  who  spoke 
through  the  serpent.  She  ought  to  have  at  once  perceived  that  it  was 
no  good  spirit  who  thus  spoke,  for  an  angel  would  not  have  questioned 
God's  will,  being  quite  certain  that  whatever  He  had  commanded  was 
for  the  best.  Now,  what  ought  Eve  to  have  done?  She  ought  either 
to  have  made  no  answer  and  fled,  or  she  ought  to  have  said :  "God  has 
willed  it  so.  I  do  not  ask  why,  because  God  knows  best  what  is  good 
for  us."  Instead  of  this,  Eve  let  herself  be  drawn  into  conversation 
with  the  devil,  and,  thereby,  he  had  already  gained  half  his  object. 
—  4  In  order  to  raise  a  doubt  about  God's  love,  the  father  of  lies 
exaggerated  the  prohibition ,  making  it  to  apply  to  several  trees 
instead  of  to  one  only.  —  5  Why  this  command?  So  that  they  might 
keep  away  from  even  the  occasion  of  sin.  —  6  In  this  sentence  there 
/"Occur  two  remarkable  words:  "lest  perhaps":  for  God  had  not  said: 
\  "Perhaps  you  may  die",  and  we  can  see  by  this  answer  of  Eve's 
that  she  already  half  doubted  whether  God's  threat  had  been  meant 
seriously.  —  7  Now  the  devil  becomes  more  bold,  and  directly  contra- 
dicts what  God  had  said,  making  out  the  Lord  God  to  be  a  liar !  — 
9  i.  e.  on  the  contrary.  —  9  the  eyes  of  their  spirit.  How  had  their 
eyes  been  closed  hitherto?  They  possessed  great  knowledge,  but  all 
the  same  they  knew  nothing  about  sin;  and  therein  lay  their  happiness. 
By  holding  out  to  Eve  the  prospect  of  attainingtojijjurt^r^^ 
-^Satan  wished  to  excite  in  her  a  sinful  curiosity.  —  10  not  onlynke 
to  God,  but  as  God.  By  this  lie  the  devil  wished  to  make  Adam  and 
Eve  proud.  *Be  represented  Almighty  God  as  a  deceiver,  Who  withheld 
this  knowledge  from  them,  not  out  of  love,  but  out  of  a  jealous  fear 
£  lest  they  should  become  like  to  Him.  He  wished  to  destroy  Eve's 
faith  in  the  love  and  truth  of  God,  and  arouse  in  her,  instead,  a 
mistrust  of  Him,  pride,  and  sinful  curiosity.  Alas,  he  succeeded  in  his 
purpose.  Instead  of  being  indignant  at  Satan's  blasphemous  speech,  Eve 
took  pleasure  in  the  prospect  held  out  to  her.  She  allowed  a  presump- 
tuous desire  and  sinful  curiosity  to  take  possession  of  her  heart;  and 
because  it  promised  so  much  to  her,  she  now  saw  that  the  fruit  of  the 
tree  was  good  and  pleasant  to  behold.  She  longed  for  it  now,  and 
taking  some,  she  ate,  and  then  she  persuaded  Adam  to  eat  of  it  also. 

At  the  same  time  they  lost  sanctifying  grace,  which  was 
the   life   of  their  soul;   they   lost  the   immortality  of  their 


THE  FALL  OF  OUR  FIRST  PARENTS.  23 

body ;  their  eyes  were  opened  11,  and  they  saw  with  shame 
that  they  were  naked.  In  their  shame  and  confusion  they 
began  to  sew  fig-leaves  together,  in  order  to  cover  their 
nakedness.  But  soon  they  heard  the  voice  of  God  calling 
them,  and  they  hid  themselves  among  the  trees  12.  And  God 
said:  "Adam,  where  art  thou?"13  And  Adam  answered: 
"I  heard  Thy  voice,  and  I  was  afraid,  because  I  was  naked  14, 
and  I  hid  myself."  And  God  said:  "Who  has  told  thee  that 
thou  art  naked  ?  Thou  hast  eaten  of  the  forbidden  fruit." 16 
Adam  replied:  "The  woman  whom  Thou  gavest  me  to  be 
my  companion,  gave  me  of  the  fruit,  and  I  did  eat."  And 
the  Lord  said  to  the  woman:  "Why  hast  thou  done  this?" 
She  replied:    "The  serpent  deceived  me,  and  I  did  eat."1G 

11  but  not  in  the  way  they  had  intended.    They  knew  evil,  hut  the 
knowledge   brought   them   no   happiness,  only   restlessness,    fear   and 
misery.    They  now  knew  that  they  had  been  deceived,  that  they  had  * 
sinned   grievously,  and  had  deserved   punishment.     Having  lost  their  > 
innocence,  they  were  ashamed  of  being  naked,  and  covered  their  bodies  * 
.with  fig-leaves.  —  n  It  was  formerly  their  greatest  happiness,  when  God 
Condescended   to    speak  with   them.     Now,  they  trembled  when   they 
heard  His  voice  and  tried  to  hide  themselves.   We  cannot  hide  ourselves 
from  God,  therefore,  it  was  folly  on  their  part  to  try  to  do  so.    From 
whence  did  this  folly  come  ?    From  sin.    Sin  blinds  man  and  makes  his 
understanding  dull,  so    that    he  can  no  longer  rightly  understand  the 
most  elementary  religious  truths.  —  ,3  This  meant  not  only:  In  what 
place  art   thou?   but  also:    In  what  condition  art   thou?     What   has? 
happened   to  thee  ?     Where  is  thine  innocence  ?     Where  is  thy  good  * 
conscience?  —  u  It  was  not  only  their  bodies  which  were  naked,  but* 
also  their  souls,  which  had  lost  their  robe  of  innocence  and  sanctifying 
grace.  —  15  Why  did  God  ask  this?    Did  He  not  already  know  what 
had   taken  place?     Yes,  but  He  wished ^Adarn   to^  confesshis   guilt. 
Adam  did  so ;  he  acknowledged  anacnanotaeny  fiis^sm,  but,  at^fie 
same  time,  he  excused    himself  and   tried   to    lay  the  blame  on  Eve. 
She,  in  her  turn,  laid  the  blame  on  the  serpent.  —  16  Eve  knew  now 
that  she  had    been  deceived.     The  serpent   had   pretended    that   they 
would  be  much  greater  and  happier  through  their  disobedience,  instead 
of  which  they  already  felt  abased  and  miserable ! 

II.  Commentary. 

Sin.  Adam  and  Eve  transgressed  the  law  of  God.  It  is 
true  that  they  were  persuaded  to  do  so,  but  still  the  devil 
did  not  force  Eve  to  eat  of  the  forbidden  tree,  nor  did  Eve 


24  CHAPTFR  IV.     PART  I. 

oblige  Adam  to  do  so.  It  was  of  their  own  free-will  that 
they  sinned. 

The  many  ways  in  which  we  can  sin.  First,  Eve  sinned 
by  thought.  She  doubted  whether  it  were  true  that  they  must 
die,  lfiney  disobeyed  God,  and  whether  God  meant  what  He 
had  said.  Then,  she  sinned  by  desire.  First,  she  had  a 
longing  to  be  as  God:  this  was  a  desire  of  pride.  Then, 
she  wished  to  eat  of  the  fruit,  because  it  looked  good  to 
eat:  this  was  a  desire  of  the  flesh.  As  she  gave  wav  to 
this  desire  instead  of  stifling  it,  it  grew  to  be  a  sin  of  deed: 
she  put  forth  her  hand,  took  the  fruit  and  ate.  LastlyTEve 
sinned  by  worxLwhen  she  gave  utterance  to  a  doubt  about 
faith,  sayingT^Perhaps  we  shall  die";  and  also  when  she 
persuaded  Adam  to  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit. 

Was  their  sin  a  grievous  sin  ?  Our  first  parents  undoubt- 
edly transgressed  the  law  of  God  in  an  important  matter, 
for  the  prohibition  to  eat  of  the  fruit  was  the  only  law 
which  God  had  given  them,  and,  moreover,  on  its  observance 
depended  their  own  happiness  and  that  of  their  descendants, 
for  Almighty  God  had  threatened  them  with  jdeath^  if  they 
disobeyed  Him.  They  also  transgressed  the  command  wil- 
fully, as  explained  above.  Their  sin  was,  therefore,  a  mortal 
sin,  and  a  very  grievous  one.  It  was  not  only  one  sin  but 
many.  It  was  a  sin  of  pride,  of  unbelief,  of  lust,  of  dis- 
obedience, and  of  ingratitude.  God  had  shown  them  so  much 
love  and  had  given  them  so  much  that  they  owed  Him  the 
greatest  gratitude;  instead  of  which  they  repaid  Him  with 
the  grossest  ingratitude.  Moreover,  the  command  was  one 
which  they  could  easily  have  kept ;  for  they  were  possessed 
of  greater  knowledge  than  we  are,  and  knew  God's  infinite 
love,  holiness  and  justice  much  better  than  we  do. 

The  consequences  of  their  sin  were  very  grave.  Satan  had 
pretended  to  them  that  by  their  disobedience  they  would 
be  raised,  and  become  as  God;  but  the  very  opposite  took 
place.  They  were  now  less  like  God  than  they  had  been, 
because  they  had  lost  sanctifying  grace  and  their  other  super- 
natural gifts.  Having  renounced  God  by  their  sin,  they 
were  no  longer  His  children  and  heirs  of  heaven,  but  had 


THE  FALL  OF  OUR  FIRST  PARENTS.  25 

become  children  of  the  devil  and  heirs  of  hell !  They  still 
retained  the  natural  gifts  which  made  them  like  to  God, 
but  even  these  gifts  were  marred.  Their  reason  was  obscured, 
so  that  they  could  no  longer  recognize  the  truth  as  they  had 
done;  as  was  proved  by  the  foolish  way  in  which  they  tried 
to  hide  themselves  from  God.  Their  hearts  and  wills  were 
now  infected  by  evil ;  sinful  inclinations  were  kindled  in 
their  hearts,  of  which  they  felt  ashamed,  and  which  made 
them  hide  themselves.  Their  happiness  was  gone.  They  were 
still  in  Paradise,  and  Paradise  was  as  beautiful  as  ever,  but 
they  felt  miserable,  because  their  consciences  were  guilty 
and  their  hearts  were  full  of  fear  and  unrest.  "  Tribulation 
and  anguish  is  on  every  soul  of  man  that  worketh  evil"A 
(Rom.  2,  9).  Those  only  are  happy  who  have  a  good  con- 
science and  the  peace  of  God  in  their  hearts.  All  the  pos- 
sessions in  the  world  cannot  make  a  man  happy,  if  he  has  not 
got  inward  peace.  A  good  conscience  is  the  best  of  pillows ! 
Original  sin.  The  sin  of  our  first  parents  injured  not 
only  themselves,  but  also  all  their  posterity.  Their  super- 
natural gifts  were  given  to  them  not  only  for  themselves, 
but  for  all  those  who  were  to  come  after  them.  If  Adam 
and  Eve  had  preserved  these  gifts,  their  children  would  have 
inherited  them,  and  would  have  come  into  the  world  in  a 
state  of  grace.  But  our  first  parents  having  sinned,  and 
being  no  longer  in  a  state  of  grace,  their  sinfulness  has 
passed  down  to  their  children;  so  that  now  men  are  born 
into  the  world  in  a  state  of  sin. 

III.  Application. 

The  devil  induced  Adam  and  Eve  to  sin  by  means  of  lies. 
Therefore  our  Lord  says:  "The  devil  is  a  liar  and  the  father 
of  lies"  (John  8,  44).  He  is  the  father,  i.  e.  the  origin  of  lies/ 
Have  you  never  imitated  him  ?  Hate  lies,  for  they  come  from 
the  devil !  Have  nothing  to  do  with  them,  or  you  will  be  a  child 
of  the  devil.  God  is  truth,  and  desires  and  loves  only  what 
is  true.    Stick  to  the  truth,  if  you  wish  to  be  a  child  of  God. 

Perhaps  you  think  that,  if  you  had  been  in  Eve's  place, 
you  would  not  have  allowed  yourself  to  be  overcome  by 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  2 


26  CHAPTER  IV.    PART  I. 

temptation.  But  have  you  never,  then,  taken  anything  which 
you  have  been  forbidden  to  take,  such  as  sugar,  fruit  &c? 
Has  not  God  forbidden  you  to  pilfer  or  to  be  greedy,  quite 
as  much  as  He  forbade  Adam  and  Eve  to  eat  of  the  Tree  of 
knowledge  ?  Further,  did  not  God  give  you  sanctifying  grace 
,  in  holy  Baptism  ?  Has  He  not  placed  you  in  the  paradise  of 
1  His  holy  Church,  in  order  that  you  may  live  a  holy  life  and 
\  attain  to  the  heavenly  paradise  ?  Have  you  not,  by  means  of 
>  your  religious  instruction,  acquired  great  knowledge,  so  that 
you  know  perfectly  well  what  is  right  and  what  is  wrong? 
Therefore,  when  you  offend  against  the  law  of  God,  you  are 
quite  as  little  to  be  excused  as  was  Eve.  Guard,  then,  against 
sin  and  firmly  resolve  never  again  to  offend  God  wilfully. 
Eve's  temptation  came  from  without.  We  too,  as  long 
as  we  live,  shall  have  to  encounter  various  temptations. 
They  come  partly  from  without,  such  as  those  arising  from 
bad  companions  and  from  positive  occasions  of  sin,  and 
partly  from  within,  from  our  own  bad  inclinations,  such  as 
anger,  sloth,  self-will  etc.  They  can  also  come  from  the 
direct  suggestions  of  the  evil  one.  Eve's  fall  should  be 
a  warning  to  us  not  to  allow  ourselves  to  be  seduced  by 
temptations  to  sin.  Had  Eve  kept  away  from  the  forbidden 
tree,  she  would  not  have  fallen !  Keep  away,  therefore,  from 
bad  companions  and  sinful  pleasures,  or  else  you  are  meet- 
ing sin  half  way.  If  a  bad  thought  occurs  to  you,  do  not 
dwell  on  it,  but  drive  it  from  you,  or  else  bad  desires  will 
follow  bad  thoughts.  If  the  Tempter  or  your  own  passions 
whisper  to  you:  "Such  and  such  a  thing  would  not  be  a 
great  sin!  God  would  not  treat  it  severely!"  Oh,  then  turn 
your  thoughts  at  once  to  the  just  and  holy  God  Who  would 
be  outraged  by  that  sin,  and  remind  yourself,  that  sin  is  the 
^greatest  of  all  evils!  Above  all  things,  beware  of^^jn^L 
curiosity.  He  who  wishes  to  see  and  hear  everything,  and 
who  does  not  shut  his  eyes  and  ears,  when  he  sees  or  hears 
anything  evil,  will  soon  have  his  heart  corrupted,  and  will 
lose  his  innocence.  Say  often  and  devoutly:  "Lead  us  not 
into  temptation.  Defend  me,  my  God,  against  temptations  to 
evil,  or  else  give  me  the  grace  to  resist  them  steadfastly !" 


THE  FALL  OF  OUR  FIRST  PARENTS.  27 

Chapter  IV. 

Part  II. 

THE  FALL  OF  OUR  FIRST  PARENTS. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

THEN  God  said  to  the  serpent1:  "Because  thou  hast  done 
this  thing 2,  thou  art  cursed  among  all  the  beasts  of  the 
earth.  Upon  thy  breast  shalt  thou  go,  and  dust  shalt  thou  eat 
all  the  days  of  thy  life 3.  I  will  put  enmities  between  thee  and 
the  woman,  and  thy  seed  and  her  seed ;  she  shall  crush  thy 
head,  and  thou  shalt  lie  in  wait  for  her  heel."  4  This  referred 
to  the  Saviour  Who  was  one  day  to  destroy  the  power  of 
Satan.    The  woman  mentioned  is  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary. 

1  Adam  had  laid  the  blame  on  Eve;  and  she  had  excused  herself 
by  pleading  the  deception  of  the  serpent.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  all 
three  were  guilty,  and  on  that  account  God  pronounced  sentence  on 
each  of  them.  He  began,  it  is  true,  by  the  serpent  who  had  beguiled 
the  woman;  He,  then,  proceeded  to  the  woman  who  had  led  Adam 
into  sin;  and  finished  by  Adam  himself.  The  devil  had  received  his 
supreme  punishment,  when  he  was  cast  down  into  hell  with  the  other 
fallen  angels ;  but,  because  he  had  deceived  man  and  cheated  him  out 
of  his  happiness,  God  cursed  him  anew,  and,  with  him,  cursed  the 
serpent  which  had  been  his  instrument.  —  2  i.  e.  because  you  seduced 
Eve  by  your  lies  and  deceit.  —  8  These  two  first  clauses  of  the  divine 
sentence  apply  immediately  to  the  actual  serpent  which  had  lent  itself 
to  be  the  devil's  tool.  Being  cursed  by  God,  it  is  hated  by  man  on 
account  of  its  creeping,  cunning,  and  poisonous  ways.  But  the  words 
apply  also  to  the  devil,  and  signify  that  he  and  his  followers  would 
be  degraded  below  all  other  creatures,  and  would  crawl  in  the  filth 
of  sin  and  base  passions,  these  being,  as  it  were,  the  very  breath  of 
their  life.  —  4  These  clauses  are  directed  only  against  the  invisible 
and  infernal  serpent,  the  devil.  Satan  had  hoped  that  once  he  had 
succeeded  in  separating  man  from  God,  man  would  make  friends  with 
him,  serve  him,  and  remain  in  his  power.  But,  instead  of  this,  God 
announced  that  his  very  punishment  would  lie  in  being  overcome  by 
the  woman.  The  seed  of  the  devil  are  all  those  who  give  themselves 
over  to  sin.  The  seed  of  the  woman  is  the  Divine  Saviour,  Who,  as 
Man,  was  descended  from  her.  She,  therefore,  would  tread  on  the  head 
of  Satan,  would  trample  him  under  foot,  and  overcome  him,  taking 
away  from  him  his  power  over  man.  But  the  serpent,  i.  e.  the  devil, 
would  resist,  and  seek  to  injure  the  woman.  He  would  not,  however, 
materially  injure  her,  but  would  lie  in  wait  for  her  heel;  in  other  words, 
he  would  prepare  sufferings  for  her,  but  would  not  overcome  her. — 

2* 


28  CHAPTER  IV.    PART  II. 

Mary  has  overcome  the  devil  through  her  Son,  our  Divine  Redeemer, 
Who  has  saved  the  whole  world  from  sin  and  from  the  power  of 
Satan.  But  how,  then,  has  the  infernal  serpent  wounded  her  heel? 
The  devil  caused  our  Lord  much  suffering.  He  it  was  who  prompted 
Judas  to  hetray  his  Master.  He  it  was  who  incited  the  Jewish  priests 
and  Pharisees  to  cry  out:  Crucify  Him,  crucify  Him!  The  devil  did 
this,  and  yet  it  is  by  our  Lord's  very  death  on  the  Cross  that  the 
devil  has  been  overcome  and  the  world  redeemed ! 

To  Eve  He  said5:  "In  sorrow  and  pain  shalt  thou  bring 
forth  thy  children  6.  Thou  shalt  be  subject  to  thy  husband 7, 
and  he  shall  have  dominion  over  thee."  And  to  Adam  He 
said8:  "Because  thou  hast  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  thy 
wife,  and  hast  eaten  of  the  tree,  whereof  I  commanded  thee, 
that  thou  shouldst  not  eat,  cursed  is  the  earth  in  thy  work9; 
with  labour  and  toil  shalt  thou  eat  thereof  all  the  days  of 
thy  life.  Thorns  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth  to  thee. 
In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  thou  shalt  eat  bread10,  till  thou 
shalt  return  to  the  earth,  out  of  which  thou  wast  taken; 
for  dust  thou  art,  and  into  dust  thou  shalt  return  n. 

6  The  sentence  of  punishment  which  Almighty  God  pronounced  on 
Eve  did  not  apply  only  to  her,  but  to  all  women  after  her.  —  6  i.  e. 
in  pain  and  anguish.  —  7  Man  would  have  dominion  over  woman,  and 
she  would  have  to  serve  and  obey  him.  In  pagan  times,  women  were 
very  degraded,  and  cruelly  treated.  It  is  only  since  the  Incarnation,  and 
the  rise  of  Christianity,  that  the  treatment  of  women  has  improved.  — 
8  The  sentence  that  now  follows,  was  pronounced  on  Adam  and  men 
after  him.  —  9  or,  on  account  of  your  sin.  Adam,  the  lord  of  the  earth, 
having  sinned,  the  curse  upon  him  extended  to  all  nature.  As  a 
consequence  of  the  curse,  the  beasts,  which,  before  the  fall,  were  attached 
to  man,  have  become  either  shy  and  intractable,  or  else  positively 
ferocious  towards  him.  Even  the  elements  and  forces  of  nature  are 
very  often  hostile  to  him,  and  destroy  the  work  of  his  hands.  Moreover, 
the  devil  has  obtained  a  certain  dominion  over  them,  and  can  injure  man 
through  them.  —  10  i.  e.  it  will  be  only  by  the  most  severe  toil  that 
you  will  be  able  to  obtain  bread,  or,  in  other  words,  what  is  necessary 
for  the  life  of  yourself  and  your  family.  Thorns,  thistles  and  all  kinds 
of  weeds  grow  naturally  from  the  earth,  but  corn,  which  is  the  chief 
staple  of  man's  food,  can  only  be  made  to  grow  by  means  of  the 
cultivation  bestowed  by  man  on  the  ground;  and  this  cultivation 
requires  very  severe  toil.  —  ll  Man's  body  is  made  of  the  earth. 
The  name  Adam  means  "made  of  earth".  He  lost  the  gift  of  the 
immortality  of  the  body,  when  he  lost  sanctifying  grace.  From  hence- 
forth his  body  was  to  be  subject  to  death  and  to  the  diseases  which 


THE  FALL  OF  OUR  FIRST  PARENTS. 


are  the   precursors  of  death.     When  he  dies,  his  body  turns  to  dust, 
mingling  itself  with  the  earth. 

How  great  is  the  mercy  of  God,  that  He  promised  a 
Redeemer  to  our  sinful  parents!  How  hateful  must  sin 
be  to  God,  since  He  pronounces  so  terrible  a  curse  on 
those  favoured  creatures  whom  He  has  so  recently  blessed ! 
When  God  had  pronounced  the  sentence  of  banishment 
and  death  on  Adam  and  Eve;  when  He  had  commanded 
the  elements  to  oppress  them  in  divers  ways,  He  drove 12 
them  out  of  Paradise 13 ,  and  placed  Cherubim u  with  a 
flaming  sword,  turning  every  way,  to  guard  the  way  leading 
to  the  Tree  of  life. 

12  After  He  had  clothed  them  with  skins  of  beasts,  both  to  cover 
their  nakedness,  and  protect  them  against  the  rain  and  cold.  Thus 
He  did  not  quite  forsake  them,  but  came  to  their  help  in  their 
necessity.  —  13  What  must  have  been  their  feelings,  as  they  left 
Paradise!  Look  at  the  picture  in  the  Bible  History!  —  u  Angels  of 
one  of  the  higher  degrees,  who  were  to  prevent  Adam  and  Eve  from 
attempting  to  return  to  fetch  of  the  fruit  of  the  Tree  of  life.  If  they 
had  partaken  of  this  means  of  immortality  in  a  state  of  sin,  it  could 
only  have  brought  them  damnation. 


30  CHAPTER  IV.    PART  IT. 

II.  Commentary. 

God  is  the  very  Truth.  He  had  threatened  Adam  and 
Eve  with  death,  if  they  ate  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  what 
He  threatened  was  brought  to  pass.  Of  His  mercy,  Almighty 
God  did  not  make  our  first  parents  die  immediately,  for 
they  were  not  hardened  in  sin,  and  were  capable  of  amend- 
ment; but,  all  the  same,  from  that  moment  their  bodies 
lost  the  supernatural  gift  of  immortality,  and  their  souls 
lost  that  grace  which  was  their  life. 

The  Justice  of  God.  The  punishment  of  Adam  and  Eve 
reveals  to  us  the  infinite  justice  of  God.  Their  sin  is  the  sin 
of  the  whole  human  race ;  therefore,  the  evil  consequences  of 
their  sin  have  passed  down  to  all  mankind.  We  are  by 
birth  "children  of  wrath"  (Eph.  2,  3).  The  image  of  God  is 
defaced  in  each  one  of  us.  Our  reason  is  obscured,  our  will 
is  weakened,  and  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  refuse  to  obey  the 
spirit.  We  are  all  subject  to  suffering  and  death,  and  no  one 
could  attain  to  heaven,  if  our  Divine  Redeemer  had  not  died 
for  us. — Think  of  the  many  passions  which  hold  sway  over 
man !  Think  of  the  countless  diseases  to  which  he  is  prone ; 
the  countless  tears  which  are  shed  by  him!  Think  of  the 
bitter  pangs  of  the  dying;  and  of  the  terrible  disasters  by  fire, 
water  and  earthquake  which  occur !  All  this  is  the  consequence 
of  sin !   How  terrible,  then,  is  the  justice  of  Almighty  God ! 

Sin  is  the  greatest  of  all  evils,  for  all  other  evils  came 
into  the  world  by  sin. 

Pride  comes  before  the  fall.  Adam  and  Eve  having  sinned 
through  pride,  were  humbled  by  the  degrading  sentence: 
"Dust  thou  art,   and  into  dust  thou  shalt  return." 

The  first  promise  of  the  Messias.  Before  Almighty  God 
drove  our  first  parents  out  of  Paradise  into  the  misery  of  the 
outside  world,  He  gave  them  the  promise  of  the  Redeemer. 
The  thought  that  by  their  sin  they  had  condemned  them- 
selves to  misery  in  this  world  and  eternal  ruin  in  the  next, 
would  have  driven  them  to  despair,  had  not  God  awakened 
in  their  hearts  the  hope  of  the  coming  of  a  Saviour.  The 
curse  pronounced  on  the  infernal  serpent  contained  a  con- 
solation  for  fallen   man.     The  words:    "I  will  put  enmities 


THE  FALL  OF  OUR  FIRST  PARENTS.  31 

between  thee  and  the  woman  &c.",  told  Adam  and  Eve 
that  sin  and  the  devil  would  be  overcome  some  day,  and 
that  the  gates  of  the  heavenly  paradise  would  be  thrown 
open  to  them.  We  can  see  by  this,  how  merciful  God  was 
even  to  fallen  man.  "The  Lord  is  gracious  and  merciful, 
patient  and  plenteous  in  mercy"  (Ps.  144,  8).  God  punishes 
man  in  mercy,  and  imposes  temporal  punishments  on  him, 
so  as  to  save  his  soul  and  make  him  eternally  happy. 

The  penalties  of  sin  are  also  its  remedies.  Work,  whether 
mental  or  physical,  keeps  evil  desires  and  passions  at  bay. 
If  men  were  not  obliged  to  work,  they  would  live  more  in 
accordance  with  their  bad  passions,  and  evil  would  be  ram- 
pant. "Idleness  hath  taught  much  evil"  (Ecclus.  33,  29). 
Furthermore,  if  there  were  no  pain  or  death,  men  would 
sink  into  mere  sensuality,  would  not  trouble  themselves 
about  eternity,  and  would  quite  forget  their  higher  destiny. 
Sickness  and  death  are  always  preaching  thus  to  us:  "All 
earthly  things  pass  away ;  take  heed  for  the  affairs  of  your 
soul!"  On  Ash -Wednesday  the  Church  reminds  us  in  an 
especial  manner  that  we  are  but  dust  and  ashes,  and  that 
we  shall  surely  die. 

Adam,  a  type  of  Jesus  Christ  (Rom.  5,  14).  Adam  is  the 
father  of  all  men  according  to  the  flesh ;  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
spiritual  Father  of  the  faithful,  for  through  Him  alone  do 
they  receive  life.  Through  Adam  sin  and  death  came  to  all 
men ;  through  Jesus  Christ  we  have  received  grace  and  eternal 
life.  Sin  and  misery  came  into  the  world  by  Adam's  disobedience ; 
but  our  redemption  has  been  wrought  by  Jesus  Christ,  Who 
became  obedient  even  unto  the  death  of  the  Cross. 

Eve,  a  type  of  our  Lady.  Eve  consented  to  sin;  Mary 
consented  to  redemption,  by  consenting  to  become  the  Mother 
of  the  Redeemer.  Eve,  by  her  sin,  brought  misery  on  man- 
kind; Mary,  through  her  Son,  has  brought  salvation.  Eve 
was,  in  a  natural  sense,  the  mother  of  the  living;  Mary 
is  so  in  a  supernatural  sense. 

The  Immaculate  Conception.  Mary  trampled  under  foot  the 
infernal  serpent,  not  only  by  giving  birth  to  the  Divine 
Saviour,  but   also   by  this,  that  she  was  always  free  from 


32  CHAPTER  IV.    PART  II. 

the  stain  of  sin,  even  of  original  sin.  Had  she,  like  the  rest 
of  mankind,  come  into  the  world  with  the  stain  of  original 
sin  on  her,  she  would  have  been,  for  a  time,  under  the 
dominion  of  Satan,  and  her  victory  over  him  would  not  have 
been  complete.  Therefore  God,  by  a  special  grace,  and  in  view 
of  the  merits  of  her  Divine  Son,  preserved  her,  whom  He  had 
chosen  to  be  that  Son's  Mother,  from  the  taint  of  original  sin. 

Why  did  not  God  cast  Adam  and  Eve  straight  into  Hell,  as  He  did 
the  fallen  angels?  Because,  firstly,  their  sin,  grievous  as  it  was,  was 
not  so  great  as  that  of  the  rebellious  angels,  the  angels  being  richer 
in  grace  and  knowledge  than  were  Adam  and  Eve;  and,  moreover,  the 
fact  of  the  fall  of  these  last  having  been  caused  by  the  deception 
of  Satan,  was  in  some  measure  an  excuse  for  them.  Secondly,  our 
first  parents  were  not  hardened  in  sin,  but  confessed  their  guilt  and 
repented  of  it. 

Adam  and  Eve  not  eternally  lost.  They  received  pardon  on  account 
of  their  belief  in  the  future  Saviour ;  and,  on  account  of  their  repentance 
and  long  life  of  expiation,  were  delivered  from  Limbo  by  our  Lord, 
and  taken  by  Him  to  heaven.  In  the  Book  of  Wisdom  (10,  2)  it  is 
expressly  said  that  the  divine  wisdom  "drew  him  (Adam)  out  of  sin". 

The  curse  which,  as  a  consequence  of  sin,  rests  on  irrational 
creatures,  is  removed  by  the  blessing  which  the  Church,  in  the  name 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  bestows  on  natural  objects. 

Unworthy  Communion.  Adam  and  Eve,  being  in  a  state  of  sin,  did 
not  dare  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  Tree  of  life,  for,  had  they  done  so, 
they  would  have  been  eternally  damned.  He  who  receives  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  (which  is  prefigured  by  the  Tree  of  life)  in  a  state  of  sin, 
draws  damnation  on  himself. 

III.  Application. 

Sin  is  the  greatest  of  all  evils,  and  the  source  of  all  other 
evils.  You  are  afraid  of  lesser  evils,  such  as  sickness,  danger, 
or  death;  why  are  you  so  little  afraid  of  the  greatest  of 
all  evils?  Guard  against  sin,  for  it  leads  to  sorrow  and 
misery.  If  you  do  right,  you  will  have  a  joyful  spirit,  a 
good  conscience,  and  peace  and  happiness  in  your  innocent 
heart.  But  if  you  do  wrong,  your  heart  will  be  unhappy 
and  uneasy,  and  the  pains  of  conscience  and  fear  will  pursue 
you,  as  they  pursued  Adam  and  Eve  after  the  fall.  Therefore, 
set  enmity  between  yourself  and  sin ;  detest  it  and  flee  from 
it.  And  often  pray  devoutly  thus:  "Deliver  us  from  evil, 
from  the  greatest  of  all  evils,  sin!" 


A 


CAIN  AND  ABEL.  33 

Chapter  V. 
CAIN    AND   ABEL. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

DAM  and  Eve  had  many  children;   the  first  two  were 


Cain  and  Abel.  Cain  was  a  husbandman,  or  tiller  of 
the  earth;  Abel  was  a  shepherd.  Abel  was  just1,  but  the 
works  of  Cain  were  evil.  Now  it  happened  one  day  that 
they  offered  a  sacrifice  2  to  God  in  gratitude  for  the  benefits 
He  had  bestowed  upon  them.  Abel  offered  the  firstlings3 
of  his  flock,  and  Cain,  fruits  of  the  earth.  The  Lord  regarded 
Abel  and  his  gifts  with  favour,  but  for  Cain  and  his  offerings 
He  had  no  regard  4.  Seeing  this,  Cain  was  exceedingly  angry, 
and  his  countenance  fell 5. 

1  He  feared  and  loved  God,  and  believed  in  the  future  Saviour.  — 

2  i.  e.  visible  gifts  for  the  purpose  of  thanking  God  for  the  benefits 
already  received,  and   of  imploring   further   blessings   from  Him.  — 

3  i.  e.  the  best  and  finest  of  his  flock.  —  4  We  are  not  told  how 
Almighty  God  gave  His  pleasure  and  displeasure  to  be  understood. 
Probably,  as  at  the  sacrifice  of  Elias  (Old  Test.  Ch.  LXIII) ,  He 
sent  down  fire  from  heaven,  which  consumed  Abel's  offering,  whereas 
Cain's,  notwithstanding  every  effort  on  his  part,  remained  unconsumed. 
(See  picture  p.  35.)  —  5  i.  e.  he  became  thin  and  pale  with  anger. 
Envy  was  the  cause  of  his  anger.  He  envied  his  brother  for  being 
in  God's  favour,  and  feared  that  he  would  receive  greater  benefits 
than  himself.  Instead  of  winning  God's  approval  by  contrition  and 
amendment,  he  was  seized  with  rage  against  his  innocent  brother 
although  God  lovingly  warned  him  in  time. 

And  the  Lord  said  to  Cain:  "Why  art  thou  angry,  and 
why  is  thy  countenance  fallen  ? 6  If  thou  do  well,  shalt  thou 
not  receive?  but  if  ill,  shall  not  sin  forthwith  be  present 
at  the  door?7  Keep  away  from  sin"8.  But  Cain  did  not 
heed  the  Lord9.  One  day  he  said  to  his  brother:  "Let  us 
go  forth  abroad."  Abel,  suspecting  no  evil,  went  out  with 
him ;  and  when  they  were  in  the  field,  Cain  rose  up  against 
Abel,  his  brother,  and  slew  him. 

6  By  these  questions  God  wished  to  bring  Cain  to  self-knowledge, 
and  a  realization  of  the  terrible  condition  of  his  soul.  —  7  It  will 
swiftly  overtake  you.  —  8  i.  e.  do  not  let  these  evil  passions  of  envy 
and  anger  master  you,  but  subdue  them  at  once  and  rule  over  them.  — 

2*# 


34  CHAPTER  V. 

9  He  did  not  take  God's  warning  to  heart.  He  did  not  subdue  his 
anger,  and,  therefore,  it  gained  more  and  more  mastery  over  him,  till 
it  grew  into  the  fiercest  hatred.  He  could  no  longer  endure  the  sight 
of  his  brother,  and  at  last  resolved  to  kill  him.  His  evil  passions 
quite  blinded  him.  He  did  not  think  of  the  grief,  which  his  act  would 
cause  his  parents,  nor  did  he  remember  the  threats  of  Almighty 
God.  He  enticed  his  brother  into  the  field,  and,  turning  on  him, 
struck  him  dead. 

What  must  Adam  and  Eve  have  felt,  when  they  saw  their  dear 
Abel  lying  dead  in  his  blood,  slain  by  his  own  brother's  hand! 
Perhaps,  blinded  by  bitter  tears,  they  exclaimed:  "Alas,  that  we 
must  survive  this,  our  son's  crime !  Woe  to  us  that  we  ever  sinned ! 
Cain  has  got  his  bad  passions  from  us:  This  terrible  deed  is  the 
consequence  of  our  sin!" 

The  Lord  said  to  Cain:  "Where  is  thy  brother  Abel ?" 10 
Cain  replied  in  an  insolent  manner :  "I  know  not;  am  I  my 
brother's  keeper?"11  And  the  Lord  said  to  him:  "What 
hast  thou  done?  The  voice  of  thy  brother's  blood  crieth  to 
me  from  the  earth 12.  Now,  therefore,  cursed  shalt  thou  be 
upon  the  earth,  which  hath  opened  her  mouth  and  received 
the  blood  of  thy  brother  from  thy  hand  13.  When  thou  shalt 
till  it,  it  shall  not  yield  to  thee  its  fruit.  A  fugitive14  and 
a  vagabond  15  shalt  thou  be  upon  the  earth." 

10  By  asking  this  question  God  wanted  to  give  Cain  the  opportunity 
of  honestly  and  contritely  confessing  his  crime.  Had  he  done  so,  God 
would  have  forgiven  him  and  lessened  his  punishment.  But  instead  of 
doing  this,  Cain  made  an  insolent  and  defiant  reply.  —  u  This  was  as 
much  as  to  say:  "Why  dost  thou  ask  me?  I  am  not  his  keeper!" 
Being  blinded  by  his  passions,  Cain  believed  that  he  could  hide  his 
crime  from  God,  and  defiantly  lied  to  Him.  After  that,  God  reproached 
him  for  what  he  had  done,  and  pronounced  sentence  on  him.  —  12  Can 
blood  cry  out?  Almighty  God  meant  this:  "Your  evil  deed  is  such 
that  it  demands  punishment  from  heaven,  or,  in  other  words,  it  cries 
out  to  heaven  for  punishment  and  vengeance.  —  13  i.  e.  thou  hast  with 
thine  own  hand  shed  thy  brother's  blood,  which,  flowing  on  to  the 
ground,  has  been  sucked  up  by  it.  —  14  Without  a  home.  —  I5  i.  e.  thou 
shalt  never  find  rest,  but  shalt  always  wander  to  and  fro  on  the  earth. 

And  Cain,  in  despair,  said  to  the  Lord:  "My  iniquity  is 
greater  than  that  I  may  deserve  pardon.  Behold !  Thou  dost 
cast  me  out  this  day  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  Every 
one,  therefore,  who  findeth  me,  will  kill  me"16.  The  Lord 
said  to  him:  "No,  it  shall  not  be  so;    but  whosoever  shall 


CAIN  AND  ABEL 


35 


kill  Cain,  shall  be  punished  sevenfold"17.  And  He  set  a 
mark  upon  Cain  that,  whosoever  found  him,  should  not  kill 
him18.  And  Cain  went  out  from  the  face  of  the  Lord,  and 
dwelt  as  a  fugitive  on  the  earth19. 

16  Cain's  defiance  changed  to  despair.  He  believed  that  he  could 
not  obtain  forgiveness,  and  despaired  of  God's  mercy.  He  would  have 
liked  to  have  hidden  himself  from  God.  Why  did  Cain  wish  to  hide 
himself  from  God?  Because  he  no  longer  regarded  Him  as  a  loving 
Father,  but  only  as  a  severe  Judge;  and  now,  the  thought  of  the 
presence  of  that  God  Whom  he  had  so  offended,  was  torture  and 
terror  to  him.  Having  no  longer  any  hope  of  attaining  to  eternal 
life,  he  clung  the  more  anxiously  to  this  earthly  life,  and  was  filled 
with  dread,  lest  others  should  kill  him,  as  he  had  killed  Abel.  As  the 
expulsion  of  Adam  and  Eve  from  Paradise  had  taken  place  about 
120  years  before,  there  were  probably  a  great  number  of  people  on 
the  earth  by  this  time.  —  17  It  was  God's  will  to  preserve  the  life 
of  this  murderer,  in  order  that  he  might  serve  as  a  warning  to  other 
men.  —  18  This  mark  was  a  sign  on  his  face  or  brow,  by  which  every 
one  might  know  who  Cain  was,  and  that  he  was  a  man  punished  by 
the  hand  of  God,  and  on  account  of  his  sins  condemned  to  wander 
about  on  the  earth,  and  who,  being  punished  by  God,  might  not  be 
killed  by  any  man.  —  19  Weighed  down  by  the  curse  of  God,  and 
tormented  by  his  evil  conscience,  the  fratricide  led  from  thenceforward 


36  CHAPTER  V. 

a  most  miserable  life.  Day  and  night  the  image  of  his  murdered 
brother  was  before  his  eyes,  and  he  wandered  to  and  fro  on  the 
earth,  without  comfort  and  without  joy. 

The  punishment  of  Cain  was  threefold.  In  the  selfishness  of  his 
envy  he  had  believed  that,  if  Abel  were  dead,  he  would,  firstly,  receive 
more  blessings  from  God,  secondly,  that  the  earth  would  produce  more 
under  his  cultivation,  and,  thirdly,  that  he  himself  would  be  happier. 
The  exact  opposite  took  place.  Firstly,  God  cursed  him.  Secondly, 
the  earth  was  barren  under  his  touch.  Thirdly,  he  was  a  prey  to 
constant  fear  and  unrest,  and  never  knew  another  happy  moment. 

II.  Commentary. 

God  is  omniscient.  Grod  knew  the  minds  of  both  Cain  and 
Abel.  He  saw  Cain's  envy  and  bloodthirstiness ,  and  knew 
what  crime  he  had  committed,  even  though  Cain  would  not 
acknowledge  it. 

God  is  holy.  Therefore  the  offering  of  the  righteous  Abel 
was  well  pleasing  to  Him,  but  He  took  no  pleasure  in  the 
offering  of  the  evil-minded  Cain. 

God  is  just.  In  what  way  did  God  show  His  justice  in 
this  story?  First  by  the  words:  "If  thou  do  well,  shalt 
thou  not  receive,"  and  those  other  words:  "The  voice  of 
thy  brother's  blood  crieth  unto  me."  Also  by  the  fact,  that 
He  punished  the  murderer  most  terribly. 

Envy  is  a  capital  sin,  because,  as  we  have  seen  in  the 
case  of  Cain,  it  leads  to  many  other  sins.  To  begin  with; 
Cain  was  envious  of  his  brother,  and  then,  because  he  did 
not  check  this  feeling,  there  grew  up  in  his  heart  a  fierce 
anger  against  Abel.  He  did  not  resist  this  anger,  but  rather 
cherished  it,  so  that  it  turned  into  bitter  hatred,  and  kindled 
in  his  heart  the  terrible  desire  to  kill  his  brother.  Then, 
as  he  did  not  resist  this  thirst  for  blood,  it  grew,  until  at 
last  it  led  him   to   commit  the  horrible  crime  of  fratricide. 

Murder.  The  deadly  blow,  which  Cain  dealt  Abel,  was 
intentional  and  pre-meditated ;  and  such  an  action  is  called 
murder.  Cain  was  not  only  a  murderer,  but  also  a  fratricide, 
i.  e.  the  murderer  of  his  brother. 

The  sins  which  cry  to  heaven  for  vengeance.  We  can  see 
by  this  story  of  Cain  and  Abel,  whence  comes  the  expression 
of  sins  crying  to  heaven  for  vengeance.     Wilful  murder  is 


CAIN  AND  ABEL.  37 

counted  among  them,  because  of  the  words  of  God:  "The 
blood  of  thy  brother  crieth  &c." 

The  forgiveness  of  sins.  Is  it  true  that  Cain  might  have 
obtained  forgiveness,  if  he  had  done  penance?  His  sin  was 
indeed  great,  but  God's  mercy  is  infinitely  greater ;  and  the 
murderer  would  have  been  forgiven  by  God,  if  he  had  but 
repented  and  confessed  his  terrible  sin.  Our  faith  teaches 
us  explicitly  that  all  sins  can  be  remitted,  if  only  they  are 
confessed  with  the  proper  dispositions.  It  was  Cain's  own 
fault  that  he  did  not  obtain  forgiveness.  He  would  not 
confess  his  sin,  though  God  Himself  questioned  him.  We 
cannot  get  our  sins  forgiven,  unless  we  confess  them.  Cain, 
also,  had  no  true  contrition,  and  all  hope  of  pardon  depends 
on  that.  He,  however,  had  given  up  hope,  and  despaired 
of  God's  mercy. 

Free-will.  There  are  those  who  yield  to  their  evil  passions, 
and  then  say  that  they  could  not  help  it.  Is  it  true  that 
they  could  not  have  helped  it?  Could  not  Cain  have  acted 
differently  from  what  he  did  ?  God  Himself  had  said  to  him : 
"Keep  away  from  sin."  We  are  not  obliged  to  follow  our 
evil  inclinations,  for  we  have  free-will,  and  can  overcome 
our  passions,  if  we  choose. 

The  necessity  of  grace.  Grace  is ,  however ,  necessary  to 
enable  the  free-will  of  man  to  choose  what  is  right.  Cain  had 
received  quite  sufficient  grace,  and  if  he  had  corresponded 
with  it,  he  would  have  been  quite  able  to  overcome  his  envy 
and  hatred,  and  would  never  have  become  a  murderer.  Even 
after  his  sin  he  would  have  been  able  to  obtain  pardon,  if  he 
had  not  resisted  the  grace  of  God  which  urged  him  to  repent. 

The  wonderful  working  of  divine  Grace  for  the  good  of  man,  is 
shown  to  us  very  plainly  in  this  story  of  Cain.  Think  how  much 
God  did  both  to  keep  him  from  sinning,  and  to  bring  him  to  repen- 
tance, after  he  had  sinned,  so  that  his  soul  might  be  saved.  First, 
He  drew  Cain's  attention  to  his  ruling  passions  of  envy  and  anger,  in 
order  to  bring  him  to  a  knowledge  of  himself.  Then,  He  promised 
him  a  reward  and  blessing,  if  he  would  correct  himself,  and  threatened 
him  with  speedy  punishment,  if  he  let  himself  be  led  on  to  do  an  evil 
deed.  Lastly,  He  stirred  him  up,  and  exhorted  him  not  to  be  led  away 
by  his  evil  desires,  but  to  have  dominion  over  them.   Even  after  the 


38  CHAPTER  V. 

terrible  deed  was  done,  Almighty  God  did  not  at  once  reject  the 
murderer,  and  even  while  reproaching  him  for  his  crime,  tried  to 
move  his  heart.  He  wished  Cain  to  recognise  the  horror  of  his  deed, 
to  abhor  it,  and  repent  of  it.  He  even  asked  him  where  his  brother 
was,  in  order  to  make  the  confession  of  his  guilt  easier  to  him.  It 
was  only  when  Cain  proved  to  be  hard-hearted  and  impenitent  that 
God  pronounced  judgment  on  him.  Even  then,  the  sentence  was  not 
an  eternal  one;  it  was  only  temporal  ("cursed  be  thou  on  the  earth"), 
and  might  have  led  him  to  repentance  and  amendment.  God  protected 
the  life  of  this  wretch  by  a  special  mark,  in  order  to  give  him  more 
time  for  repentance.  Oh,  how  good  and  merciful  is  God,  Who,  as  it 
were,  pursues  the  sinner  so  indefatigably,  and  tries  in  so  many  ways 
to  move  his  heart,  so  as  to  save  him  from  eternal  damnation! 

Resistance  of  Grace.  Sins  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  Man ,  having 
free-will,  is  able  to  resist  grace,  which,  much  as  it  may  move  him 
and  incline  him  towards  what  is  good,  does  not  force  him.  Cain's 
terrible  example  shows  us  to  what  resistance  of  grace  can  lead.  He 
would  not  listen  to  God's  loving  exhortation  to  overcome  his  envy  and 
anger,  but  cherished  them  in  his  heart,  till  his  anger  waxed  fiercer  and 
turned  to  hatred,  and,  finally,  led  him  to  murder  his  own  brother.  Once 
again,  after  his  crime,  Cain  resisted  the  promptings  of  God's  grace.  He 
hardened  his  heart  and  sinned  directly  against  God  by  his  lies,  defiance 
and  impenitence.  It  was  only  after  God  had  pronounced  sentence  on  him, 
and  he  already  felt  its  effects,  that  he  acknowledged  his  guilt.  He 
did  not,  however ,  implore  for  pardon  contritely  and  confidently ,  but 
despaired  of  God's  mercy.  Which  of  the  sins  against  the  Holy  Ghost 
did  he  commit  ?  First,  he  envied  his  brother  on  account  of  the  grace 
God  had  given  him ;  secondly ,  he  hardened  his  heart  against  God's 
admonitions;  and,  finally,  he  despaired  of  God's  mercy. 

A  right  intention  is  the  chief  thing.  St.  Paul  says  (Hebr.  11,  4) :  "By 
faith  Abel  offered  to  God  a  sacrifice  exceeding  that  of  Cain."  What 
was  wanting  in  Cain's  sacrifice  ?  His  faith  in  God  and  in  the  promised 
Saviour  was  not  firm  and  living ,  and ,  therefore,  his  worship  of  God 
was  wanting  in  reverence  and  thankfulness.  He  worshipped  Him 
outwardly,  but  not  inwardly.  The  gifts,  which  he  offered,  were  good, 
but  the  intention  with  which  he  offered  them,  was  not  good.  Let  us 
learn  from  this  that  God  does  not  look  merely  on  our  outward  works 
and  gifts,  but  that  He  looks  especially  to  our  intention.  "The  Lord 
seeth  the  heart"  (Old  Test.  Ch.  L). 

The  worship  of  God  by  sacrifice.  Cain  and  Abel  both  brought  gifts 
to  God.  What  did  they  offer  ?  Fruits  and  beasts.  How  did  they  offer 
these  visible  gifts?  They  burnt  them,  i.  e.  destroyed  them  by  fire. 
They  wished  to  express  by  this  that  they  kept  back  nothing  of  these 
gifts  for  themselves  ,  that  they  desired  to  offer  them  wholly  to  God, 
from  Whom  all  good  things  come ,  and  to  Whom  all  things  belong. 
From  whom  had  Cain  and  Abel  learnt  how  to  offer  sacrifice  to  God? 


CAIN  AND  ABEL.  39 

Obviously,  from  their  parents,  Adam  and  Eve.  We  see,  therefore, 
that  men  offered  sacrifice  to  God  from  the  very  first:  that  so  long 
as  there  have  been  men  to  worship  Him ,  there  have  been  sacrifices. 
Sacrifice  is  the  highest  and  most  perfect  form  of  worship ,  and 
is  essential  to  religion.  The  Catholic  religion ,  being  the  most 
holy  and  perfect  of  all  religions,  must  possess  the  most  holy  and 
perfect  of  sacrifices.  What  is  this  holiest  sacrifice,  most  pleasing  to 
God  ?  It  is  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  Who  once  sacrificed  Himself  on  the 
Cross  in  a  bloody  manner,  and  Who  continually  offers  Himself  for  us 
in  the  Holy  Mass  in  an  unbloody  manner. 

Abel  is  the  second  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Abel  was  just; 
a  shepherd;  envied  by  his  brother;  slain  by  him;  and  his 
blood  cries  for  vengeance.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Most  Just; 
and  the  Good  Shepherd  of  mankind.  Out  of  envy  He  was 
persecuted  and  slain  by  His  brethren,  the  Jews.  His  Blood 
cries  for  grace  and  pardon  for  sinful  man. 

The  homeless,  wandering  Cain  is  a  type  of  the  Jewish  people,  who 
resisted  God's  grace,  and  who,  since  they  slew  their  God,  have  been 
homeless  and  scattered  over  the  whole  earth. 

Eve,  weeping  over  the  body  of  her  beloved  son,  slain  by  the  hand 
of  his  brother,  is  a  type  of  the  sorrowful  Mother  of  God,  who  stood, 
sorrowing,  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross,  on  which  hung  her  Divine  Son, 
slain  by  his  brethren,  the  Jews. 

III.  Application. 

Envy  is  very  easily  aroused  in  our  hearts.  Have  you  never 
felt  envious,  when  others  have  been  praised  or  rewarded? 
Detest  envy,  and  overcome  all  temptations  to  it,  for  it  is 
a  hateful  sin,  and  the  source  of  many  other  sins.  "Through 
the  envy  of  the  devil  death  came  into  the  world,  and  they 
follow  him  who  are  of  his  side"  (2  Wisd.  24,  25).  If  you 
let  envy  get  possession  of  you,  you  are  imitating  the  devil, 
and  are  his  child.  Do  you  wish  to  be  a  child  of  the  devil  ? 
If  not,  be  not  envious  and  jealous  of  others,  but  rather 
rejoice,  when  good  befalls  them.  Drive  away  envy,  for  from 
envy  came  the  first  murder. 

The  divine  admonition  to  overcome  the  desire  to  sin 
applies  to  every  body.  If  God  required  of  Cain  that  he  should 
master  his  evil  desires,  how  much  more  does  He  require  it 
of  us,  Christians,  to  whom  so  many  graces  have  been  given ! 
Examine  yourself  and   see  what   sin  you  are  most  inclined 


40  CHAPTER  VI. 

to,  whether  it  be  lying,  or  greediness,  or  laziness,  or  dis- 
obedience, or  anger,  or  sinful  curiosity,  and  resolve  never 
to  give  way  to  it,  but  to  overcome  it  at  once.  Resist  the 
beginnings  of  sin.  If  Cain  had  stifled  his  envy  in  the 
beginning,  he  would  not  have  become  a  fratricide!  God 
warns  you  through  your  conscience,  your  parents  &c,  in 
the  same  way  that  He  warned  Cain.  Do  not  resist  these 
warnings,  or  you  will  grow  up  hard-hearted. 

If  you  have  sinned  through  thoughtlessness  or  weakness, 
go  at  once  and  confess  your  sin  to  the  priest,  who  is  the 
representative  of  God,  and  God  will  forgive  you.  He  who 
does  not  make  a  good  confession,  is  hard-hearted  like  Cain. 

Chapter  VI. 
THE   DELUGE. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

DAM  lived  nine  hundred  and  thirty  years.   He  had  many 


A 


sons  and  daughters  to  whom  he  announced  the  law 
of  God  and  the  coming  of  the  Redeemer1.  His  immediate 
descendants  also  lived  to  a  very  great  age.  Mathusala,  the 
oldest  of  them,  lived  nine  hundred  and  sixty-nine  years.  The 
people  became  very  numerous.  Some  were  herdsmen  and 
lived  in  tents ;  others  built  cities  and  became  mechanics  and 
musicians2.  The  descendants  of  the  pious  Seth,  whom  God 
had  given  to  Adam  instead  of  Abel3,  were  good,  feared 
God ,  and  hence  were  called  the  children  of  God.  The 
descendants  of  Cain,  however,  turned  away  from  God4, 
were  wicked,  and  were  called  the  children  of  men. 

1  The  promise  that  one  day  a  Saviour  should  come,  Who  would 
overcome  sin  and  the  devil.  —  2  They  practised  various  arts  and 
trades,  such  as  building,  stone-cutting,  carpentering,  weaving,  forging, 
and  the  making  of  musical  instruments.  —  3  That  is  to  say  that 
Seth,  being  just  and  holy  like  Abel,  was  a  compensation  to  his  parents 
for  his  loss.  God  chose  Seth  to  be  the  heir  of  the  promises,  and 
the  forefather  of  the  people  of  God,  and,  later  on,  of  the  Redeemer 
Himself,  Who,  according  to  St.  Luke  (3,  38)  was,  as  Man,  descended 
from  Seth.  —  4  i.  e.  they  did  not  seek  God  or  serve  Him.  They 
were  called  sons  of  men,  or  of  this  world,  in  contradistinction  to  the 


THE  DELUGE.  41 

children   of  the  just  Seth  who  were  called  the  sons  of  God ,  because 
they  loved  and  honoured  God  as  their  Lord  and  Father. 

Henoch,  one  of  the  children  of  God,  was  noted  for  his 
faith  and  piety5,  and  was  taken  up  alive  to  heaven6. 
Unhappily,  the  children  of  God  began  to  associate  with  the 
children  of  men,  and  soon  they  themselves  became  wicked. 
Then  God  said  that  men  must  not  live  so  long,  seeing  that 
they  have  become  corrupt  in  their  ways.  "His  days  shall 
be  one  hundred  and  twenty  years " 7. 

5  He  "  walked  with  God ",  i.  e.  lived  in  God's  presence ,  prayed^ 
without  ceasing  and  was  united  to  God  by  the  most  intimate  love. 
Tie  was  1he  saint  of  the  primitive  ages.  His  zeal  for  the  glory  of 
Gocl,  and  his  sincere  love  of  his  neighbour,  urged  him  to  convert  sinners, 
so  as  to  save  them  from  eternal  loss.  —  6  He  did  not  die,  but  was 
translated  to  paradise  with  his  body  and  soul,  as  happened  later  on 
to  the  prophet  Elias.  He,  too,  was  a  holy  preacher  of  penance,  and 
was  translated  without  dying.  —  7  In  the  course  of  centuries,  the 
children  of  God  intermarried  with  the  children  of  men ,  and  let 
themselves  be  led  into  their  godless  ways,  so  that  impiety  increased, 
and  at  last  became  general.  Then  God  resolved  to  exterminate  the 
human  race,  which  was  now  living  so  shamelessly  in  accordance  with 
its  own  evil  passions.  But  He  gave  them  a  hundred  and  twenty 
years  for  repentance  and  amendment. 

The  wickedness  of  men  went  on  increasing,  and  their 
thoughts8  were  continually  bent  upon  evil.  Seeing  this, 
God  said 9 :  "I  will  destroy  man,  whom  I  have  created,  from 
the  face  of  the  earth." 

8  All  their  thoughts  and  desires  were  bad.  —  9  It  is  said  that  it 
"repented  God"  of  having  made  man.  It  repents  us  men,  when  we  have 
done  something  wrong  or  stupid.  God  cannot  have  such  repentance, 
because  He  is  unchangeable,  and  cannot  wish  to  alter  anything  He 
has  done.  What  then  do  the  words  mean?  They  mean  that  the 
depravity  of  man  was  so  horribly  great  that  God,  Who  cannot  really 
repent,  seemed  to  repent  that  He  had  created  the  human  race. 

But  among  these  wicked  men  there  was  one  just  and 
virtuous  man,  who  was  called  Noe.  Noe  found  favour  with 
the  Lord  10,  and  the  Lord  said  to  him :  "  Make  thee  an  ark  " 
of  timber-planks  12 ;  thou  shalt  make  little  rooms  in  the  ark, 
and  thou  shalt  pitch  it  within  and  without  with  bitumen. 
The  length  of  the   ark   shall   be  three  hundred  cubits,  and 


42  CHAPTER  VI. 

the  breadth  of  it  fifty  cubits,  and  the  height  of  it  thirty 
cubits 13.  Thou  shalt  make  a  window  in  the  ark ,  and  a 
door  in  its  side;  and  thou  shalt  divide  the  ark  into  lower, 
middle,  and  third  u  stories.  Behold,  I  will  bring  the  waters 
of  a  great  flood  upon  the  earth,  to  destroy  all  flesh  wherein 
is  the  breath  of  life.  But  I  will  establish  my  covenant15 
with  thee.  Thou  shalt  enter  into  the  ark,  thou  and  thy 
sons,  and  thy  wife  and  the  wives  of  thy  sons  with  thee. 
And  of  every  living  creature,  of  all  flesh,  thou  shalt  bring 
two  of  a  sort 16  into  the  ark  that  they  may  live  with  thee. 
Thou  shalt  take  unto  thee  of  all  food  which  may  be  eaten, 
and  thou  shalt  lay  it  up  with  thee." 

10  It  was  God's  will  to  spare  him ,  and  not  punish  the  just  with 
the  unjust.  —  n  A  great  house,  resting  on  a  sort  of  raft  (see 
picture).  —  12  Of  wood,  shaped  and  fitted  together.  —  13  The 
Hebrew  cubit  was  about  18  inches.  —  14  or  upper.  —  15  Of  what  did 
this  bond  or  covenant  consist?  Almighty  God  promised  to  save  Noe 
in  the  ark;  and  Noe,  on  his  part,  undertook  to  serve  God  faithfully, 
with  his  family.  —  16  Of  clean  beasts  he  was  to  take  seven  pair. 
Those  beasts  were  styled  clean,  which  lived  on  herbage ;  and  especially 
domestic  animals  were  thus  classed.  Only  clean  beasts  could  be  offered 
in  sacrifice.  Unclean  beasts,  included  (besides  swine)  all  beasts  of  prey 
(because  they  shed  blood),  all  vermin  and  creeping  things. 

Noe  did  all  that  the  Lord  had  commanded  him  to  do. 
He  spent  a  hundred  years  in  building  the  ark17,  during 
which  time  he  preached  penance  to  the  people18.  But  men 
heeded  not  the  warning.  They  ate,  drank,  and  were  married 
just  as  before,  without  a  thought  of  the  terrible  punishment 
that  was  to  come  upon  them.  Then  the  Lord  said  to  Noe : 
"Go  in,  thou  and  all  thy  house,  into  the  ark;  and  after 
seven  days  I  will  cause  rain  to  fall  upon  the  earth  for  forty 
days  and  forty  nights,  and  I  will  destroy  every  substance 
that  I  have  made,  from  the  face  of  the  earth."  Noe  entered 
into  the  ark,  with  all  his  family,  taking  with  him  all  that 
the  Lord  had  commanded  him19;  and  the  Lord  shut  him 
in  on  the  outside. 

17  With  the  help  of  his  sons.  —  18  foretelling  the  coming  punishment. 
The  building  of  the  ark  ought  to  have  confirmed  his  words,  for  each 
person  must  have  said  to  himself:  ''Surely  Noe  would  never  have 
undertaken  this  great  and  laborious  work,   if  he   did   not  believe  in 


THE  DELUGE. 


43 


this  coming  judgment."  But  they  would  not  allow  any  serious  thoughts 
to  interfere  with  their  impious  frivolity,  and  went  on  with  their  pleasure, 
refusing  to  believe  Noe's  words,  and  scoffing  at  his  warnings.  Thus, 
they  let  the  hour  of  grace  go  by  Avithout  profiting  by  it.  —  19  God 
made  the  animals  to  flock  into  the  ark  in  the  same  way  that  He 
gathered  them  together  to  be  named  by  Adam,  and  in  the  same  way 
that  He  still  draws  the  birds  of  passage  every  year  towards  the  south. 

And  when  the  seven  days  were  passed,  the  fountains  of 
the  great  deep 20  were  broken  up ,  and  the  flood-gates  of 
heaven  were  opened  21,  and  the  rain  fell  upon  the  earth  for 
forty  days  and  forty  nights.  The  waters  continued  to  increase 
till  they  rose  fifteen  cubits  above  the  highest  mountains.  Thus 
every  living  being  was  destroyed,  that  moved  upon  the  earth, 
both  of  fowl,  of  cattle,  of  beasts,  and  all  men.  Noe  only 
remained,  and  they  that  were  with  him  in  the  ark. 

20  That  is,  the  waters  under  the  earth  came  to  the  surface.  — 
The  water  which  was  gathered  in  the  air,  and  which  God  kept  back 
as  it  were,  by  flood-gates,  broke  loose  and  poured  on  to  the  earth. 
Many  of  you  have  seen  flood-gates  or  sluices  in  a  mill  stream,  and  you 
know  what  the  water  does,  when  they  are  opened.  In  the  same  way, 
the  water  burst  out  of  the  clouds,  and  poured  unceasingly  on  to  the 
earth  for  forty  days. 


44  CHAPTER  VI. 

Picture  to  yourselves  the  horror  of  this  terrible  judgment  of  God. 
In  sixteen  hundred  years  the  human  race  had  increased  to  millions 
of  beings,  and  now  all  were  destroyed !  Many  of  them  were  drowned 
when  the  Flood  first  began,  while  others  saved  themselves  for  a  time 
in  high  trees  or  on  the  roofs  of  houses.  But  the  houses  were  swept 
away  and  the  trees  uprooted,  and  all  who  were  on  them  were  swallowed 
up  in  the  waters.  Many  fled  to  the  mountains,  but  the  flood  followed 
them  there.  With  deadly  fear  they  watched  the  waters  rising  higher 
and  higher,  till  the  very  mountain-tops  were  swallowed  up ,  and  one 
by  one  those  who  had  sought  safety  on  them  were  engulfed  in  the 
roaving  waves.  Mothers  saw  their  children,  brothers  their  sisters, 
husbands  their  wives,  drowning  before  their  eyes,  and  were  powerless 
to  help  them.  Black  clouds  covered  the  sky ,  and  the  earth  was 
wrapped  in  darkness.  Beasts  roared,  and  men  wailed  and  cried  aloud 
to  heaven  for  mercy.  But  the  day  of  mercy  was  passed ;  the  day 
of  retribution  had  come.  And,  behold,  while  the  storm  raged  fiercer 
and  fiercer,  and  the  waters  rose  above  the  highest  mountains,  burying 
all  mankind  in  a  watery  grave,  the  ark  floated  securely  on  the  top 
of  the  horrible  flood,  protected  by  the  hand  of  God,  neither  injured 
by  the  fallen  trees  which  were  hurled  against  it,  nor  dashed  to 
pieces  against  the  sunken  rocks. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  four  last  things.  The  patriarchs  lived  to  a  great  age, 
but  they  had  to  die  at  last.  Of  each  one,  with  the  exception 
of  Henoch,  it  is  said  that  he  lived  to  such  and  such  an  age, 
and  then  died.  By  this  they  fulfilled  the  words  of  God:  "Dust 
thou  art  and  into  dust  thou  shalt  return."  So  it  is  with 
man  still,  and  so  it  will  be  till  the  end  of  the  world:  all 
men  must  die,  because  they  are  the  inheritors  of  Adam's 
curse.  "It  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die,  and  after 
this  the  judgment"  (Hebr.  9,  27).  The  last  thing  we  shall 
do  on  earth  will  be  to  die. 

Th.e  sons  of  God  and  the  sons  of  men.  The  opposition 
between  the  sons  of  God  and  the  sons  of  men  continues  to 
this  day ,  and  will  continue  to  the  end  of  the  world.  The 
children  of  men  are  those  who  either  have  no  faith,  or  who 
do  not  live  up  to  their  faith,  but  follow  the  dictates  of  their 
own  hearts,  and  without  shame  transgress  God's  command- 
ments. They  love  the  world  above  all  things,  instead  of 
loving  God.  They  struggle  after  the  honours,  pleasures,  and 
riches  of  this  life,  and  do  not  trouble  themselves  about  eternal 


THE  DELUGE.  45 

life.  But  who  are  the  children  of  God?  They  are  those 
who  do  God's  will,  who  live  in  the  grace  and  love  of  God, 
and  who  strive  after  heavenly  things.  As  Christians,  we 
are  all  children  of  God.  Let  us  live  as  such,  and  try  to 
do  the  will  of  our  Father,  Who  is  in  heaven. 

The  long  life  of  the  Patriarchs.  As  the  earth  before  the  Flood 
produced  larger  plants  and  larger  beasts  than  it  does  now,  so  men 
in  primeval  times  were  taller  and  stronger  than  the  men  of  later 
ages.  They  lived  a  simple,  temperate  life,  and  therefore  reached  a 
great  age.  This  long  life  of  the  patriarchs  was  ordained  by  God  to 
serve  several  ends.  The  first  was  that  they  might  have  a  great 
many  children ,  and  that  the  human  race  might  multiply  and  spread 
itself.  Another  was  that  they ,  the  patriarchs ,  might  be  able  to 
transmit  the  divine  revelation  of  the  history  of  creation ,  of  the 
original  state  and  fall  of  man,  the  promise  of  the  Saviour,  the  story 
of  Cain  and  Abel  &c,  to  later  generations,  pure  and  unfalsified.  Adam 
himself  was  able  to  teach  these  truths  to  his  descendants  down  to 
the  time  of  Lamech,  who  at  the  time  of  Adam's  death  was  fifty  years 
old.  Lamech  was  the  father  of  Noe,  and  died  a  few  years  before 
the  Deluge.  He  instructed  Noe  (who  lived  950  years)  and  Sem,  the 
son  of  Noe.  Sem  (who  lived  600  years)  was  able  to  instruct  his 
descendants  down  to  the  time  of  Jacob.  Jacob  transmitted  the  divine 
revelation  to  his  descendants,  one  of  whom  was  Moses,  who  wrote 
the  first  five  books  of  Holy  Scripture,  containing  the  revelation  of 
,  God  from  the  Creation  onwards.  There  was  no  Holy  Scripture  between 
the  time  of  Adam  and  that  of  Moses  ;  the  faith  being  preserved  and 
spread  by  means  of  oral  tradition. 

The  Forbearance  of  God.  Although  all  men,  with  the 
exception  of  Noe  and  his  family,  had  become  impious  and 
vicious ,  God  gave  them  a  hundred  years  in  which  to 
repent,  before  He  let  loose  His  wrath  upon  them.  We  call 
God  long-suffering,  because  He  waits  such  a  long  time,  before 
He  will  punish  a  sinner.  Good  men  often  complain  thus: 
Why  does  God  put  up  so  long  with  impiety?  Why  does 
not  He  punish  the  sinner  who  defies  Him  ?  Almighty  God 
is  patient,  because  He  is  eternal.  He  waits  for  the  sinner 
to  repent ;  but  if  he  will  not  repent,  the  punishment  falls  at 
last,  if  not  in  this  world,  then  in  the  world  to  come. 

God's  Holiness  and  Justice  shine  forth  most  clearly  in  this 
story.  The  sins  of  men  were  powerless  to  hurt  the  Lord 
God,  or  disturb  His  infinite  complacency.    Why  then  did  it 


46  CHAPTER  VI. 

repent  Him  that  He  had  made  man?  Because  He  is  holy, 
and,  sin  being  opposed  to  His  very  essence,  He  could  no 
longer  endure  the  wickedness  of  man.  He  also  wished,  by 
this  destruction  of  sinful  man,  to  reveal  His  detestation  of 
sin  to  all  future  generations,  and  to  keep  them,  thereby, 
from  sinning.  Because  God  is  holy,  He  is  also  just,  as  is 
shown  by  His  reward  of  the  righteous  Noe,  and  his  pun- 
ishment of  the  wicked. 

The  Mercy  of  God.  God  reveals  to  us  His  mercy  as  well 
as  His  justice  in  this  story  of  the  Deluge.  He  did  not  allow 
the  Flood  to  come  suddenly,  but  by  degrees.  When  the 
rain  began  to  fall,  it  is  probable  that  many  believed  in  Noe's 
warnings  of  the  coming  judgment  and  began  to  pray  and 
repent  of  their  sins,  and  cried  to  God  for  pardon.  Such  as 
did  this  were  saved,  and  were  not  consigned  to  hell,  but 
to  Limbo  (1  Pet.  3,  19). 

1>  "Others  do  the  same  thing."  Sinners  often  speak  thus  in 
excuse  for  themselves.  But  the  Deluge  teaches  us  that  such 
words  avail  nothing  with  God.  Sin  remains  sin,  and  mortal 
sin  remains  mortal  sin,  never  mind  how  many  commit 
it  as  well  as  yourself.  When  everybody  was  wicked,  as 
in  the  days  of  Noe,  everybody  was  punished.  At  the  Last 
Day  we  shall  not  be  judged  according  to  the  opinions  and 
easy-going  principles  of  the  world,  but  according  to  the 
holy  Commandments  of  God  and  of  His  Church. 

Among  all  his  other  virtues  we  must  admire  most  the 
fortitude  of  Noe.  He  remained  virtuous  in  the  midst  of  a 
corrupt  world,  and  did  only  that  which  was  pleasing  to 
God.  The  wicked  people  around  him  did  all  in  their  power 
to  lead  him  astray.  They  mocked  him,  because  he  did  not 
do  as  they  did;  but  he  did  not  let  himself  be  moved  to  do 
evil.  He  firmly  resisted  the  attractions  of  the  wicked  world, 
and  remained  true  to  what  was  right. 

I  want  to  call  your  attention  to  Noe's  love  of  his  neighbour. 
For  a  hundred  and  twenty  years  he  laboured  for  the  salvation 
of  the  souls  of  his  fellow  creatures ,  who  were  walking  on 
the  road  to  ruin.  His  love  of  his  neighbour  was  real, 
practical,  and  entire. 


THE  DELUGE.  47 

The  Ark  is  a  type  of  the  Catholic  Church.  All  those  who  were 
in  the  ark,  were  saved  from  death :  whosoever  is  a  true  child  of  the 
Catholic  Church ,  will  be  saved  from  everlasting  death.  There  was 
only  one  ark  of  safety:  so  is  there  only  one  true  Church  in  which 
is  salvation.  The  ark  was  designed  and  built  according  to  God's 
directions :  so  was  the  Church  founded  by  our  Lord.  The  ark  did 
not  sink  amid  the  storms  of  the  Deluge,  being  protected  and  guided 
by  God :  even  so  the  Catholic  Church  does  not  sink  amid  the  storms 
of  persecution,  being  invisibly  protected  and  governed  by  God  the 
Holy  Ghost.  V. 

The  Last  Judgment.  The  terrors  of  the  Deluge  are  a  type  of  the 
Last  Day,  for  our  Lord  has  said  (Mat.  24,  37):  "As  in  the  days  of 
Noe  so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be"  (i.  e.  when  He 
comes  again  to  judge  the  world).  Great  were  the  fear  and  lamentation 
when  the  Deluge  broke  forth,  but  greater  far  will  be  the  terror  felt 
at  the  approach  of  the  Lord.  "  There  shall  be  then  great  tribulation 
such  as  hath  not  been  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  until  now" 
(Mat.  24,  21).  And  yet  many  men  behave  about  the  Last  Judgment 
precisely  as  those  of  Noe's  time  behaved  about  the  Deluge,  passing 
their  lives  in  frivolity,  and  fearing  nothing.  The  very  same  thing 
which  happened  to  these  last  will  happen  to  them.  The  men  of  Noe's 
time  would  not  listen  to  his  warnings :  they  scoffed  at  him  and  refused 
to  believe  in  the  judgment  that  was  to  overtake  them.  But  when 
the  Flood  came,  and  certain  destruction  lay  before  them,  they  cursed 
their  folly  and  frivolity,  and  bitterly  envied  Noe's  safety  in  the  ark. 
So  will  it  be  with  men,  when  the  Last  Day  comes.  "  Then  will  they 
say  within  themselves,  repenting  and  groaning  for  anguish  of  spirit: 
These  are  they  whom  we  had  some  time  in  derision,  and  for  a  parable 
of  reproach.  We  fools  esteemed  their  life  madness,  and  their  end 
without  honour.  Behold,  how  they  are  numbered  among  the  children 
of  God,  and  their  lot  is  among  the  saints"  (Wisd.  5,  3 — 5). 

III.  Application. 

You  became  children  of  God  by  holy  Baptism.  Have  you 
always  lived  as  such?  Have  you  always  prayed  willingly 
and  devoutly,  and  hated  sin?  Think  very  often  about  God, 
Who  is  everywhere,  and  sees  into  your  hearts.  Henoch  took 
delight  in  meditating  about  God.  Wherever  he  went,  and 
whatever  he  was  doing,  he  had  God  before  his  eyes.  Each 
time  to-day  that  you  hear  the  clock  strike,  or  the  bell  ring, 
make  short  acts  of  faith,  hope  and  charity. 

The  children  of  God  became  corrupt,  because  they  mixed 
with  the  children  of  the  world.  Man,  being  naturally  inclined 
to  evil,  follows  bad  example  very  easily.  "Evil  communications 


48  CHAPTER  VII. 

corrupt  good  manners."  One  bad  apple  taints  a  hundred 
sound  ones,  but  a  hundred  sound  apples  cannot  make  the 
bad  one  good  again.  Beware,  in  future,  of  bad  companions. 
They  are  not  true  friends,  but  are  the  enemies  of  your 
soul.  Seek  the  company  of  pious,  god-fearing* people.  "My 
son,  if  sinners  shall  entice  thee,  consent  not  to  them" 
(Prov.  1,  10). 

Noe's  preaching  was  all  in  vain,  because  the  frivolous 
people  heard  him  indeed  with  their  ears,  but  did  not  take 
to  heart  what  he  said.  In  what  way  do  you  listen  to 
sermons  and  instructions? 

Noe  feared  God,  but  did  not  fear  the  impious  world.  Very 
often  you  fear  men  more  than  God.  Have  you  never  been 
ashamed  to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  or  to  kneel  down 
to  say  your  prayers,  or  to  take  holy  water?  Do  not  ever 
again  be  so  cowardly!  Pay  no  attention  to  the  scoffs  of 
bad  people,  but  be  strong,  and  fearlessly  confess  your  faith ! 
Pray  earnestly  to  God  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  gifts  of 
fortitude  and  holy  fear! 

Chapter  VII. 
NOE'S  OFFERING— HIS  CHILDREN. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

NOW  God  remembered  *  Noe,  and  sent  a  wind  upon  the 
earth.  This  moved  the  waters,  and  after  a  hundred 
and  fifty  days  they  began  to  abate.  At  length,  the  ark 
rested  upon  a  mountain  in  Armenia,  called  Mount  Ararat, 
and  the  tops  of  the  hills  began  to  appear2.  Noe  perceived 
this  with  great  joy,  for  he  had  been  now  three  hundred 
and  fifty  days  shut  up  in  the  ark. 

1  Had  God  then  forgotten  Noe  all  this  time?  No;  the  words  "God 
remembered  Noe"  are  as  much  as  to  say  that,  out  of  loving  care 
for  Noe,  He  made  the  wind  to  blow,  so  that  he  might  be  soon  able 
to  leave  the  ark  in  which  he  was  shut  up.  —  2  This  was  a  chain 
of  mountains  in  Asia,  south  of  the  Caucasus,  between  the  Black  Sea 
and  the  Caspian  Sea.  The  highest  mountain  in  the  chain  is  17,230  feet 
high,  and  is  called  Ararat,  which,  in  Persian,  means  the  "mountain 
of  Noe ",  because  it  was  on  it  that  the  ark  of  Noe  rested.   Naturally, 


NOE'S  OFFERING— HIS  CHILDREN. 


49 


the  waters  sank  slowly.  When  the  tops  of  the  mountains  were 
uncovered,  Noe  had  been  220  days  in  the  ark,  and  it  was  a  very 
long    time   after   that,  before  the  level  parts  of   the  earth  were  dry. 

In  order  to  see  whether  the  waters  had  subsided  on  the 
earth,  he  opened  the  window  and  sent  forth  a  raven  which 
did  not  return3.  He  next  sent  forth  a  dove,  but  she,  not 
finding  a  spot  whereon  to  rest  her  foot,  returned  to  the  ark. 
After  seven  days  he  again  sent  forth  the  dove.  She  came 
back  to  him,  in  the  evening,  carrying  in  her  mouth  a  bough 
of  an  olive-tree  with  green  leaves  4.  Noe,  therefore,  under- 
stood that  the  waters  had  abated  from  off  the  face  of  the 
earth.  He  stayed  in  the  ark  yet  other  seven  days,  and  he 
sent   forth  the  dove  again ,  which   did  not  return  to  him 5. 

3  It  found  quite  enough  food  among  the  dead  bodies  floating  about, 
and  was  able  to  settle  on  the  mountain-tops.  It  had,  therefore,  no 
wish  to  return  to  the  confinement  of  the  ark.  —  4  i.  e.  a  branch  off 
an  olive-tree,  from  the  fruit  of  which  sweet  oil  is  made.  Noe  perceived 
by  this  that  the  earth,  or  at  any  rate  the  slopes  of  Mount  Ararat, 
on  which  olive-trees  grow,  were  dry.  — -  5  She  did  not  return,  because 
by  this  time  the  plains  were  dry.  Noe,  however,  did  not  leave  the 
Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  3 


50  CHAPTER  VII. 

ark  of  his  own  accord,  but  waited  for  the  command  of  God  to  Whose 
guidance  he  had  entirely  yielded  himself. 

God  then  said  to  Noe:  "Go  out  of  the  ark."  So  Noe 
went  out  of  the  ark  with  his  wife,  his  sons  and  their  wives, 
together  with  all  the  living  creatures  which  he  had  placed 
in  it 6.  Filled  with  gratitude  towards  the  Lord  Who  had  so 
wonderfully  preserved  him,  he  built  an  altar7  to  the  Lord 
and  offered  on  it  a  sacrifice  of  clean  animals 8.  The  sacrifice 
of  Noe  was  pleasing  to  the  Lord.  He  blessed  Noe  and  his 
sons,  and  said  to  them:  "Increase  and  multiply,  and  fill  the 
earth"9.  God  made  a  covenant  with  Noe  that  He  would 
never  again  destroy  the  earth  with  water.  The  rainbow, 
which  we  see  in  the  clouds,  is  the  sign  of  this  covenant 
between  God  and  the  earth10. 

6  Noe  was  more  than  a  year  in  the  ark  (compare  Gen.  7 ,  2  and 
8,  14).  What  must  he  have  felt,  when  he  once  more  trod  on  the 
earth !  Whichever  way  he  turned ,  there  was  desolation  and  death : 
no  living  creature  to  be  seen,  no  house  nor  human  habitation !  Scattered 
about  were  the  bones  of  those  who  had  been  drowned :  the  whole 
earth  was  one  vast  graveyard!  Sorrow  filled  his  heart,  when  he 
thought  of  the  terrible  end  of  those  who  had  perished;  but  thankfulness, 
inexpressible  thankfulness,  rose  up  within  his  soul,  as  he  said  to 
himself:  "What  would  have  become  of  me  and  mine,  if  God  had  not 
so  mercifully  taken  care  of  me !  —  7  of  stones.  —  8  of  those  species 
of  animals    of  which    seven    pair   had    been   taken   into  the    ark.  — 

9  Almighty  God  had  said  these  same  words,  when  He  blessed  Adam 
and  Eve.  Noe,  being  the  second  parent  of  the  human  race,  God 
gave  him  and  his  sons  the  same  blessing,  and  in  the  same  words.  — 

10  The  covenant  was  a  covenant  of  friendship.  Almighty  God  promised 
to  be  gracious  to  man,  and  never  more  to  send  a  Deluge  on  the 
earth,  or  let  the  succession  of  seasons,  interrupted  by  the  Flood,  be 
again  upset.  The  rainbow  was  to  be  a  sign  of  this  covenant,  and 
remind  us  of  God's  mercy  and  promises. 

The  sons  of  Noe  were  Sem ,  Cham  and  Japhet 11.  Now, 
Noe  began  to  cultivate  the  earth.  He  planted  a  vineyard, 
and,  drinking  of  the  wine,  he  fell  asleep 12,  and  was  uncovered 
in  his  tent13.  Cham,  seeing  his  father  in  this  condition14, 
spoke  of  it  in  a  jesting  way  to  his  brothers.  They,  however, 
filled  with  a  chaste  and  holy  fear,  put  a  cloak  upon  their 
shoulders,  and,  going  backwards15   so  as  not  to  look  upon 


NOE'S  OFFERING— HIS  CHILDREN.  51 

him  where  he  lay,  covered  their  father's  nakedness.  And 
Noe,  awaking  and  hearing  what  had  happened,  said:  "Cursed 
be  Chanaan;  a  servant  of  servants  shall  he  be  unto  his 
brethren."  But  he  blessed  Sem  and  Japhet.  Children  should 
learn  from  this  example  not  to  mock  or  ridicule  their  parents. 

11  From  these  three  all  mankind  descended.  The  children  of  Sem 
spread  principally  through  Asia,  those  of  Cham  through  Africa,  and 
those  of  Japhet  through  Europe.  —  12  sufficiently  intoxicated  to  sleep 
an  uneasy  sleep.  During  his  restless  movements,  the  covering  fell 
from  his  body.  But  how  came  holy  Noe  to  be  drunk  ?  For  drunkenness 
is  a  sin !  He  did  not  drink  too  much  wine  intentionally,  but  through 
ignorance,  not  knowing  the  potency  of  wine.  —  13  He  had  no  house, 
only  a  tent  which  could  be  easily  taken  down  and  carried  away. 
On  page  86  of  the  Bible  History  you  will  find  tents  of  this  kind 
represented,  which  were  such  as  were  used  by  the  Israelites  during 
their  journey  through  the  wilderness.  —  u  He  gazed  without  shame 
on  his  father's  uncovered  body,  and  went  and  told  his  brothers 
mockingly  what  had  happened,  so  that  they  too  might  go  and  mock 
their  father.  —  15  So  that  they  might  have  their  faces  turned,  not 
towards  Noe's  couch,  but  towards  the  entrance  of  the  tent. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  Goodness  of  God.  Almighty  God,  in  His  loving  mercy, 
remembered  not  only  Noe,  but  the  beasts  in  the  ark;  for 
He  hateth  nothing  that  He  hath  made.  We,  too,  should  be 
merciful,  and  carefully  avoid  cruelty  to  animals.  He  who 
wantonly  illtreats  dumb  beasts,  proves  that  he  has  a  hard, 
cruel  heart. 

God's  Faithfulness.  Just  as  the  punishment  with  which  God 
threatened  sinful  man,  was  brought  to  pass  in  the  most  terrible 
way,  so  the  promise  which  He  made  after  the  Deluge,  never 
again  to  destroy  the  world  by  water,  has  been  kept  for 
more  than  four  thousand  years. 

Confidence  in  God.  In  Noe  we  have  a  glorious  example 
of  this  virtue.  Full  of  a  living  faith  in  God's  presence,  wisdom 
and  power,  he  gave  himself  over  entirely  to  the  direction 
of  divine  providence.  Full  of  confidence  in  God,  and  in 
complete  submission  to  His  will,  he  built  the  ark  and  shut 
himself  up  in  it;  nor  did  he  leave  it,  till  God  Himself  told 
him  to  do  so.  Fear  might  very  well  have  seized  him,  and 
he  might  very  well  have  asked  himself  how  the  animals  would 

3* 


52  CHAPTER  VII. 

fare  in  the  ark,  and  so  forth :  and  when  the  ark  was  driven 
about  hither  and  thither,  the  anxious  thought  of  how  long 
it  would  be  able  to  resist  the  beating  of  the  waves,  might 
very  well  have  occurred  to  him.  But  he  allowed  no  such 
fears  to  take  possession  of  him,  and  confided  himself  entirely 
to  the  Lord  God  and  His  holy  word.  Belief  in  the  wisdom 
and  power  of  the  ever  present  God  ought  to  fill  us  also 
with  courage  and  comfort  in  time  of  tribulation,  and  make 
us  trust  in  God,  and  be  content  with  whatever  He  wills. 
"Commit  thy  way  to  the  Lord,  and  trust  in  Him,  and  He 
will  do  it"  (Ps.  36,  5).  He  who  puts  his  trust  in  God, 
builds  on  a  sure  foundation. 

Gratitude  to  God.  Why  was  God  well  pleased  with  Noe's 
sacrifice?  Firstly,  because  it  was  offered  with  faith  in  the 
future  Saviour;  and,  secondly,  because  it  was  offered  in 
thanksgiving.  You  see,  in  the  picture  in  your  Bible  History, 
how  Noe  and  his  family  knelt  round  the  altar,  praying  with 
fervour  and  devotion,  thanking  God  from  the  bottom  of 
their  hearts,  and  promising  Him  that  they  would  serve  Him 
all  the  days  of  their  life,  and  avoid  those  sins  which  had 
called  down  such  a  terrible  punishment.  Gratitude  to  God 
is  a  holy  and  essential  part  of  our  worship  of  Him. 

The  reward  of  gratitude.  Noe's  thankfulness  pleased  the 
Lord  God,  so  that  He  gave  him  still  greater  blessings. 
When  we  thank  God  for  benefits  we  have  received,  we 
prepare  the  way  for  new  benefits. 

The  olive-branch ,  brought  back  to  the  ark  by  the  dove ,  showed 
those  who  were  inside  that  the  destruction  on  the  earth  had  ceased, 
and  that  the  time  of  their  liberation  was  at  hand.  On  this  account, 
the  olive-branch  has  ever  since  been  a  token  of  peace  and  joy. 

The  meaning  of  sin.  Was  Noe's  drunkenness  a  sin?  For 
is  not  intemperance  in  drink  one  of  the  seven  deadly  sins  ? 
Then  why  was  not  Noe's  drunkenness  a  sin,  or  any  how  not 
a  grievous  sin?  Because  Noe  did  not  get  drunk  wilfully, 
or  intentionally. 

Intemperance.  Noe's  drunkenness  was  excusable,  because  he  was 
ignorant  of  the  strength  of  wine.  This  is  now  known  to  everybody, 
so  that  it  is  a  great  sin  to  drink  enough  to   obscure    the  senses  and 


NOE'S  OFFERING— HIS  CHILDREN.  53 

reason.  Drunkenness  leads  to  many  other  sins  ,  such  as  quarrelling, 
fighting,  swearing  &c,  and  is,  therefore,  one  of  the  capital  sins.  Man 
may  drink  wine  &c.  in  moderation,  for  the  purpose"  of  refreshing  and 
strengthening  himself.  But  children  should  never  drink  wine,  and, 
still  less,  spirits.  Such  drink  is  unwholesome  for  children,  and  those 
who  indulge  in  it,  are  pale  and  sickly,  and  often  stupid  and  stunted 
in  their  growth.     But  milk  and  bread  make  rosy  cheeks! 

Cham's  sin.  What  Commandments  did  Cham  sin  against? 
First,  against  the  sixth  Commandment,  by  his  immodesty. 
Secondly,  against  the  fourth  Commandment.  Cham  scoffed 
at,  and  failed  in  respect  to  his  father,  and  spoke  evil  of 
him ,  by  needlessly  repeating  to  his  brothers  what  he  had 
seen.  What  ought  Cham  to  have  done,  when  he  accidentally 
found  his  father  in  that  state?  He  ought  to  have  turned 
away  his  eyes,  covered  up  his  father,  and  not  told  any 
one  about  it. 

The  blessing  and  curse  of  parents.  When  Noe  learnt  about 
Cham's  conduct,  he  pronounced  a  curse  on  him  and  his 
descendants,  and  promised  a  blessing  to  Sem  and  Japhet. 
He  foresaw,  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  Cham's 
descendants  would,  like  those  of  Cain,  turn  away  from  God, 
and  be  punished  by  Him.  The  African  negroes  are  descended 
from  him,  and  they  are  to  this  day  sunk  in  the  lowest  state 
of  superstition,  governed  by  cruel  tyrants,  treated  as  slaves, 
and  often  bought  and  sold  as  such.  Their  way  of  living 
is  very  barbarous,  and  they  are  very  hard  to  convert  to 
Christianity.  The  blessing  on  Sem  and  Japhet  and  their 
children  has  been  fulfilled  as  completely,  as  has  been  the 
curse  on  Cham.  Sem  was  the  heir  of  the  divine  promise, 
for  the  chosen  people  of  God  sprang  from  him,  and  of  his 
race  was  born  the  Messias.  The  children  of  Japhet  formed 
great  and  powerful  nations,  and  were  early  converted  to 
Christianity,  some  of  them  even  in  the  time  of  the  apostles. 
You  can  see  by  this  story  that  children  who  are  wanting  in 
respect  to  their  parents,  are  punished  by  God,  but  that  those 
who  love  and  honour  them,  are  blessed  and  rewarded  by  Him. 

Detraction.  Just  as  Sem  and  Japhet  covered  their  father's 
nakedness  with  a  cloak,  so  ought  we  to  cover  the  faults  of 
our  fellow  men  with  the  mantle  of  charity,  and  never  reveal 


54  CHAPTER  VII. 

them  except  in  case  of  necessity.  You  commit  the  sin  of 
detraction,  if  you  reveal  the  sins  of  others  without  necessity. 
Noe,  the  third  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Noe  was  the  only  just 
man  in  a  sinful  world :  Jesus  Christ  is  alone,  and  of  and  by 
Himself,  most  just,  most  holy.  Noe  built  the  ark  for  the 
saving  of  the  human  race :  Jesus  Christ  founded  the  Church 
in  order  that  men  might  in  her  find  salvation.  Noe  preached 
penance  and  foretold  the  Deluge :  our  Lord  preached  penance 
and  foretold  the  Last  Judgment.  Noe  offered  a  sacrifice  to 
God,  which  was  so  well  pleasing  to  Him  that  He  made  a 
covenant  with  him  and  his  posterity :  our  Lord,  by  His  death 
on  the  Cross,  offered  the  most  perfect  sacrifice,  and  obtained 
for  all  men  pardon,  grace  and  everlasting  peace.  Noe  was 
the  second  father  of  the  human  race:  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
spiritual  Father  of  all  who  believe  in  Him. 

III.  Application. 

Say  a  hearty  "Deo  gratias"  (God  be  thanked),  whenever 
any  piece  of  good  fortune  befalls  you,  as,  for  instance,  when 
you  find  something  you  had  lost,  or  succeed  in  some  under- 
taking. As  Noe's  first  act  on  leaving  the  ark  was  one  of 
thanksgiving,  so  let  your  first  act,  when  you  wake  in  the 
morning,  be  one  of  thanksgiving. 

Noe  was  saved  in  the  ark  on  account  of  his  justice.  What 
have  you  done  to  deserve  being  received  into  the  one  ark 
of  salvation,  the  Church,  almost  as  soon  as  you  were  born? 
Thank  God  very  often  for  having  made  you  a  member  of 
the  one  true  Church.  There  is,  as  says  St.  Augustine,  no 
greater  treasure  than  the  Catholic  faith. 

Cham's  conduct  was  very  wrong.  Would  it  not  be  wrong 
of  you  to  look  at  anything  indecent?  Be  on  your  guard, 
therefore,  against  curious  looks,  and  be  modest  in  dressing 
and  undressing. 

Honour  your  father  and  your  mother.  Do  not  despise 
them,  even  if  they  have  faults.  "The  eye  that  mocketh  at 
his  father  or  that  despiseth  his  mother ,  let  the  ravens 
of  the  brooks  pick  it  out,  and  the  young  eagles  eat  it" 
(Prov.  30,  17). 


T 


THE  TOWER  OF  BABEL.  55 

Chapter  VIII. 
THE  TOWER  OF  BABEL. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

HE  descendants  of  Noe  soon  multiplied  *,  and  again  became 


as  wicked  as  men  had  been  before  the  Deluge.  Now, 
they  were  unable  to  live  together  any  longer2,  and  they 
said :  "  Come,  let  us  make  a  city  and  a  tower,  the  top  whereof 
may  reach  to  heaven;  and  let  us  make  our  name  famous, 
before  we  be  scattered  abroad  in  all  lands"3.  But  God 
frustrated  their  foolish  design.  He  said:  "Let  Us  confound 
their  tongue  that  they  may  not  understand  one  another's 
speech"  4.  Till  then  there  had  been  but  one  language  spoken 
amongst  men.  So  the  Lord  scattered  them  from  that  place 
into  all  the  lands,  and  they  ceased  to  build  the  city.  Therefore, 
the  city  was  called  Babel5  which  signifies  confusion6,  be- 
cause there  the  language  of  the  whole  earth  was  confounded. 

1  They  had  left  the  mountains  of  Armenia,  and  dwelt  in  the  large, 
fruitful  plain  between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris.  —  2  God  decreed 
that  they  should  disperse,  and  to  this  decree  they  objected.  —  3  They 
wished  to  found  an  united  kingdom,  the  centre  and  fortress  of  which 
should  be  this  city  with  its  high  tower.  —  4  God  introduced  various 
languages  among  them.  Hitherto  they  had  all  spoken  one  language, 
because  they  were  all  the  children,  first,  of  Adam,  and,  then,  of  Noe. 
In  the  course  of  time ,  with  the  extension  of  the  human  race  and 
the  development  of  nationalities,  this  one  original  language  would 
probably  have  split  itself  into  divers  dialects,  just  as  the  mental 
and  physical  development  of  the  race  would  have  differed  according 
to  the  different  localities  in  which  they  were  placed.  But  in  order 
to  punish  their  presumption  and  compel  them  to  disperse,  God  now 
made  various  languages  to  spring  up  among  them,  suddenly  and  in 
a  wonderful  manner,  while  they  were  still  all  together,  and  at  work 
building  their  tower.  They  could  no  longer  understand  each  other, 
and  had  to  give  up  their  undertaking  and  separate  into  different 
bodies.  —  5  or  Babylon.  Among  the  ruins  of  this  once  great  city 
the  stupendous  foundations  of  a  tower  are  still  to  be  seen,  which  are 
considered  to  be  the  remains  of  the  Tower  of  Confusion.  —  6  Why 
was  the  city  so  called?  Because,  during  the  building  of  it  the 
confusion  or  diversity  of  tongues  originated.  From  henceforth  men 
were  scattered  abroad  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  founded 
different  nationalities. 


56  CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  children  of  Sem  remained  in  Asia,  and  from  them 
descended  the  Israelites,  the  chosen  people  of  God.  Most  of 
the  descendants  of  Cham  settled  in  Africa,  while  those  of 
Japhet  took  up  their  abode  in  Europe.  Thus  were  different 
nations  founded.  The  more  men  multiplied  on  the  earth, 
the  more  wicked  they  became  7.  Instead  of  adoring  the  true 
God,  they  began  to  adore  a  multitude  of  false  gods 8.  Some 
worshipped  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  others  worshipped  men 
and  beasts,  and  even  the  works  of  their  own  hands.  To 
these  false  divinities  even  human  victims  were  offered,  and 
sometimes  innocent  children  who  were  made  to  endure  the 
most  cruel  torments.  Such  is  the  consequence  of  abandoning 
the  worship  of  the  true  God ! 9 

7  Sinfulness  increased  so  that  the  number  of  the  wicked  grew 
greater  and  greater,  and  the  number  of  the  good  less.  —  8  Because 
men  gave  themselves  over  to  their  bad  passions  and  were  further 
and  further  removed  from  God  by  their  sins,  they  gave  up  believing 
in  Him  and  worshipped  creatures.  This  worship  of  false  gods  is 
called  idolatry,  and  the  people  who  so  worship  are  called  idolaters. 
—  9  Their  sin  grew  and  grew,  because  God  gave  them  over  to  the 
desires  of  their  heart.  When  Cain  began  to  yield  to  the  passions  of 
envy  and  hatred,  God  did  not  give  him  over  to  these  passions 
unwarned.  When  the  children  of  Cain,  the  "sons  of  men",  turned 
away  from  the  true  God ,  He ,  in  His  goodness ,  urged  them  to 
penance  and  conversion  through  holy  Henoch.  And  immediately  before 
the  Deluge,  He  made  the  just  Noe  stand  forth  and  proclaim  the 
punishment  which  was  hanging  over  mankind.  Each  of  these  times 
God  warned  sinners  and  manifested  Himself  to  them :  but  now  when, 
after  the  building  of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  men  fell  away  from  Him, 
though  He  neither  destroyed  nor  punished  them,  He  no  longer  revealed 
Himself  to  them,  but  gave  them  over  to  the  desires  of  their  hearts. 
Because  they  forsook  God,  He  forsook  them ;  and  they  had  to  learn  by 
experience  to  what  they  would  come,  when  left  by  God  to  themselves. 

II.   Commentary. 

Idolatry  is  a  grievous  sin  against  the  first  Commandment. 
It  is,  moreover,  unreasonable  and  foolish,  and  is  a  sad  proof 
of  the  evil  effects  on  man  of  original  sin. 

Necessity  of  grace.  God  gave  the  idolaters  over  to  their 
own  evil  desires  and  inclinations.  As  evil  inclinations  are 
rife  in  man,  in  consequence  of  original  sin,  it  is  only  by 
God's  grace  that  he  is  able  to  keep  the  commandments.   As 


THE  TOWER  OF  BABEL. 


57 


God  did  not  sustain  by  His  grace  these  men  who  had 
rejected  Him,  they  gave  themselves  over  to  the  desires  of 
their  hearts,  and  were  led  by  their  unbridled  passions  into 
the  most  horrible  sins. 

Pride.  This  story  shows  us  how  man's  apostasy  from 
God  began  by  pride.  At  the  time  that  Noe's  descendants 
built  the  Tower  of  Babel,  they  had  increased  to  some  mil- 
lions in  number.  They  began  to  build  in  defiance  of  God, 
relying  on  their  own  strength  and  numbers.  They  did  not 
give  glory  to  God,  and  would  not  acknowledge  that  they 
had  received  all  things  from  Him,  and  could  do  nothing 
without  Him.  Against  His  will,  they  intended  to  build  a 
tower  which  would  reach  to  heaven,  and  would  make  their 
name  famous  in  all  ages.  Thus  it  was  pride  which  prompted 
this  sinful  undertaking. 

God's  Blessing  the  one  thing  necessary.  This  story  of  the 
Tower  of  Babel  shows  us  the  truth  of  the  Psalmist's  words : 
"Unless  the  Lord  build  the  house,  they  labour  in  vain  that 

build  it"  (Ps.  126,  1). 

3## 


58  CHAPTER  VIII.       , 

Necessity  of  supernatural  revelation.  The  majority  of  men 
fell  into  idolatry  about  2000  years  after  the  creation.  However, 
there  were  always  a  few  just  men  who,  with  their  families, 
preserved  the  faith  in  the  true  God,  and  His  revelation; 
such,  for  instance,  were  Abraham,  Melchisedech ,  Job  &c. 
But  the  true  faith  would  have  been  lost  even  in  those  families, 
unless  God  had  revealed  Himself  anew,  as  you  will  learn 
He  did,  in  the  stories  which  follow.  Divine  revelation  was 
necessary,  or  else  even  man's  natural  knowledge  of  God 
would  have  been  lost. 

The  punishment  of  dispersion  was  at  the  same  time  a  benefit  to 
mankind.  If  all  men  had  remained  together  much  longer,  they  would 
have  destroyed  each  other  by  civil  war  and  fighting  among  themselves. 
(See  the  strife  between  the  shepherds  of  Abraham  and  Lot.  Old 
Test.  X.) 

The  causes  of  unbelief.  How  came  it  that  reasonable  men  could 
sink  so  low  as  to  give  themselves  over  to  the  follies  of  idolatry? 
Did  God,  then,  not  make  Himself  known  to  them  ?  Now,  the  religion 
which  is  taught  us  by  the  visible  creation  and  the  voice  of  conscience, 
is  called  natural  religion.  That  which  we  have  learnt  from  the 
patriarchs,  prophets  &c.  &c,  is  called  revealed  religion.  The  men  of 
the  time  of  the  Tower  of  Babel  possessed  a  revealed  religion,  for 
Noe  had  faithfully  delivered  to  his  descendants  the  revelation  of  God, 
handed  down  by  Adam.  But  as  men  followed  their  evil  inclinations 
more  and  more,  their  faith  became  weak.  They  believed,  indeed, 
but  their  faith  was  not  living:  they  lived  as  if  there  were  no  God, 
until  at  last  they  lost  the  supernatural  gift  of  faith.  But ,  you  will 
say,  they  could  still  know  God  by  the  light  of  their  natural  reason; 
"for  the  invisible  things  of  Him,  from  the  creation  of  the  world,  are 
clearly  seen,  being  understood  by  the  things  that  are  made:  His 
eternal  power  also  and  divinity,  so  that  they  (i.  e.  the  heathen)  are 
inexcusable"  (Rom.  1,  20).  But  they  lost  even  the  natural  knowledge 
of  God,  because  their  hearts  and  wills  were  so  corrupt  that  they 
were  no  longer  capable  of  knowing  Him.  They  spoke  thus,  as  it 
were,  to  God:  "Depart  from  us:  we  desire  not  the  knowledge  of  Thy 
ways"  (Job  21,  14).  Once  they  turned  their  hearts  from  God,  their 
reason  became  more  and  more  blinded  by  their  evil  passions,  and  they 
fell  into  the  utmost  spiritual  ignorance ,  and  into  the  most  foolish 
idolatry.     Pride  and  vice  still  lead  many  men  to  unbelief. 

The  re-union  of  mankind  in  the  Church.  People  of  all  tongues 
are  gathered  together  in  unity  of  faith  in  the  Catholic  Church;  for 
all  Catholics  over  the  whole  face  of  the  earth  are  joined  together  in 
one  faith ,  one  hope ,    one  love.     This  unity  of  spirit  is  expressed  by 


THE  TOWER  OF  BABEL.  59 

the  unity  of  the  language  (Latin),  used  by  the  Church.  In  the  Catholic 
Church,  therefore,  which  is  governed  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  very 
opposite  has  taken  place  to  that  which  took  place  in  the  City  of 
Confusion.  There,  the  speech  of  men  was  confounded,  and  they  were 
scattered :  in  the  Church ,  men  of  every  land  and  every  tongue  are 
gathered  together  in  unity  of  faith  and  speech,  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
Whom  Jesus  Christ  sent  on  Whitsunday.  On  that  day  there  were 
collected  together  many  men  of  different  countries,  and  yet  they  all 
understood  the  speech  of  the  apostles ,  and  3000  of  them  became 
Christians.  On  that  day  was  built  a  city  which  rests  upon  earth 
and  reaches  to  heaven;  in  which  men  speak  one  tongue,  and  have 
one  faith,  and  with  which  God  is  well  pleased.  That  city  is  the 
Holy  Catholic  Church.     . 

III.  Application. 

There  are  still  on  this  earth  800,000,000  heathen  who 
do  not  know  God  and  His  only-begotten  Son,  Jesus  Christ. 
Pray  earnestly  for  the  conversion  of  the  heathen. 

Your  forefathers,  too,  were  heathens,  and  were  converted 
by  missionaries,  sent  by  the  Holy  See.  Thank  God  for  your 
holy  faith,  and  confess  it  by  word  and  deed.  Pray  fervently 
to  the  Holy  Ghost  to  keep  you  and  yours  firm  in  the  light 
of  the  faith. 


SECOND  EPOCH. 


THE  TIME  OF  THE  PATRIARCHS 
(about  2100—1500  B.  &). 


Chapter  IX. 
CALL   OF  ABRAM. 

Hitherto  we  have  been  engaged  in  a  brief  study  of  the  primitive 
history  of  man.  In  the  last  chapter  we  were  told  that  the  larger 
portion  of  mankind  fell  away  from  God  into  the  grossest  idolatry. 
Of  those  heathen  nations  whom  God  "gave  up  to  the  desires  of 
their  heart",  we  hear  no  more  in  Sacred  History,  with  the  exception 
of  chance  accounts  of  those  with  whom  the  people  of  Israel  came  in 
contact.  Henceforth  Scripture  relates  only  the  history  of  the  people 
of  Israel  to  whom  God  revealed  Himself  again  and  again.  This 
history  is  divided  into  six  sections:  1.  The  time  of  the  patriarchs, 
2.  the  age  of  Moses,  3.  Josue  and  the  judges,  4.  the  kings,  5.  the 
Babylonian  captivity,  6.  the  time  after  the  Babylonian  captivity. 

The  first  section,  therefore,  treats  of  the  patriarchs,  or  first  parents 
of  the  children  of  Israel ,  and  covers  a  period  of  600  years ,  namely 
from  2100  to  1500  B.  C.  It  begins  by  the  narrative  of  the  call  of 
Abram  which  contains  the  account  of  how  God  chose  him  out  to  be  the 
father  of  the  whole  Israelite  people  (and  of  the  Divine  Redeemer). 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AMONGST  the  wicked  there  was  one  just  and  upright 
man.  He  was  called  Abram  *.  The  Lord  chose  him 
that,  through  him  and  his  posterity,  the  true  faith  2  and  hope 
in  the  promised  Redeemer  might  be  preserved  and  propagated 
on  the  earth.  He  said  to  him:  "Go  forth  out  of  thy  country 
and  from  thy  kindred,  and  out  of  thy  father's  house 3,  and 
come  into  the  land  which  I  will  show  thee,  and  I  will  make 
of  thee  a  great  nation 4.  I  will  bless  thee,  and  magnify  thy 
name,  and  thou  shalt  be  blessed;  and  in  thee  shall  all  the 
nations  of  the  world  be  blessed "  5. 


CALL  OF  ABRAM.  61 

1  He,  living  in  the  midst  of  idolaters,  had  remained  faithful  to 
God.  It  was  on  account  of  his  faithfulness  that  God  favoured  him, 
by  revealing  Himself  to  him,  and  by  choosing  him  to  be  the  father 
of  the  faithful.  —  2  i.  e.  the  faith  in  the  true  God  which  had  been 
handed  down  ever  since  the  days  of  Adam.  —  3  God  commanded 
Abram  to  do  this,  because  idolatry  prevailed  in  his  own  country,  and 
even  among  his  own  kindred.  He  wished  moreover  to  test  Abram  s 
obedience  and  trust  in  Him.  —  4  Thy  descendants  shall  be  a  great 
nation.  —  5  From  Abram  was  to  descend  the  Redeemer  Who  would 
bring  grace  and  blessing  to  all  mankind. 

The  father  of  Abram  had  gone  to  settle  in  Chaldea,  and 
had  taken  up  his  abode  in  Haran6,  with  his  relatives;  but 
as  idolatry  had  at  last  made  its  way  even  into  that  family, 
the  Lord  called  Abram  forth  from  amongst  his  kindred. 
Abram  believed  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  instantly  set  out 
for  Chanaan,  taking  with  him  Sarai,  his  wife,  and  Lot,  his 
nephew7,  and  his  servants  and  his  herds  of  cattle.  After 
a  long  journey,  he  arrived  in  the  land  of  Chanaan,  and  came 
to  Sichem  8.  He  was,  then,  seventy-five  years  old.  Chanaan, 
on  account  of  its  beauty  and  fertility,  was  called  a  land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  There  the  Lord  appeared 
again  to  Abram  and  said  to  him:  "To  thy  seed  will  I  give 
this  land."  Abram,  wishing  to  show  his  gratitude,  raised  in 
that  place  an  altar  to  the  Lord.  Henceforth 9  Chanaan  was^. 
also  called  the  Promised  Land 10.  Gratitude  to  God  for  past 
favours  is  the  most   certain   means   of  obtaining  new  ones. 

6  On  the  upper  Euphrates.  —  7  i.  e.  his  brother's  son.  Lot's  father 
was  dead.  —  8  See  on  the  map.  —  9  i.  e.  from  the  time  God  promised 
it  to  Abram's  descendants.  —  ,0  We  Christians  call  it  the  Holy 
Land,  because  it  was  there  that  our  Lord  lived,  laboured  and  suffered.* 
In  geography  it  is  called  Palestine.  This  important  country  is  situated 
at  the  east  end  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  occupies  a  very  small 
space  in  the  eastern  hemisphere.  It  is  only  about  140  miles  long 
from  north  to  south ,  and  40  miles  broad ,  and  is  about  as  large  as 
Wales.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  mountains  of  Lebanon ;  on 
the  south  by  the  deserts  of  Arabia ;  on  the  west  by  the  Mediterranean ; 
and  on  the  east  by  the  Syrian  deserts.  God,  in  His  wisdom,  appointed 
this  land  to  be  the  abode  of  His  chosen  people,  because  it  was  so 
well  suited  to  their  peculiar  vocation.  The  land  of  Chanaan  is  pretty 
well  shut  in  on  all  sides  by  mountains,  sea  and  deserts,  and  this 
seclusion  made  it  more  easy  for  the  people  of  God  to  keep  themselves 
aloof   from  heathen  nations,  and   preserve  intact  the  true  faith.     On 


62  CHAPTER  IX. 

the  other  hand  Chanaan  was  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  then  known 
world,  so  that  it  was  easy  to  spread  among  all  nations,  first,  the 
promise  of  the  Redeemer,  and  later  on,  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  second  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  words:  "In  thee 
shall  all  the  kindred  of  the  world  be  blessed",  contain  the 
second  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  second  promise  is  more 
explicit  than  the  first,  for  it  says  that  the  Divine  Redeemer 
shall  be  born  of  the  seed  of  Abram. 

Necessity  of  faith.  It  is  not  for  nothing  that  we  are  told 
so  explicitly  that  Abram  believed  God,  for  faith  is  the 
first  and  most  necessary  of  virtues.  Faith  brought  Abram 
into  the  Promised  Land;  and  it  is  only  through  faith  that 
we  can  attain  to  the  promised  land  of  heaven. 

Grounds  of  faith.  Abram  believed  in  God ,  because  God 
is  the  very  truth. 

The  characteristics  of  faith.  The  faith  of  Abram  had  all 
the  characteristics  of  true  faith,  being  entire,  firm,  steadfast 
and  living.  His  faith  was  entire,  because  he  believed  all 
that  God  told  him.  It  was  firm,  because  he  doubted  nothing, 
but  believed  unreservedly  in  the  words  of  the  Lord.  It  would 
have  been  quite  natural  for  him  to  ask,  how  it  was  possible 
for  a  great  nation  to  spring  from  him  who  yet  had  no  child ; 
but  he  gave  ear  to  no  such  thought,  and  simply  held  firm 
by  the  word  of  God.  His  faith  was  steadfast,  because  he 
did  not  allow  it  to  be  shaken  either  by  the  ridicule  and 
arguments  of  his  unbelieving  relations,  or  by  the  difficulties 
and  dangers  of  the  journey  before  him.  Finally,  his  faith 
was  living,  because  he  acted  up  to  it,  and  did  all  that  God 
required  of  him. 

Obedience  to  God.  Abram's  cheerful  obedience  to  God 
was  a  fruit  of  his  living  faith.  God's  command  to  leave  his 
home  was  not  an  easy  one  to  obey,  for  the  natural  love  of 
home  and  kindred  is  a  very  strong  one.  Moreover,  God  did 
not  tell  him  where  He  was  going  to  lead  him.  He  was 
commanded  to  go  into  an  unknown  country,  among  strange 
people,  and  was  entirely  ignorant  as  to  his  future  fate. 
Nevertheless,    he    obeyed    God's    command    promptly    and 


ABRAM'S  LOVE  OF  PEACE.  63 

cheerfully.  "By  faith  Abram  obeyed  to  go  out  into  a 
place  which  he  was  to  receive  for  an  inheritance,  and  he 
went  out  not  knowing  whither  he  went"  (Hebr.  11,  8).  He 
has  given  us  a  grand  example  of  obedience  which  we  ought 
to  strive  to  follow.  "He  that  believeth  God,  taketh  heed 
to  the  commandments"  (Ecclus.  32,  28). 

III.  Application. 

God  has  not  asked  of  you  anything  so  hard  as  He  asked 
of  Abram ;  and  yet  how  often  you  disobey  Him !  Whenever 
you  tell  lies,  or  fly  into  a  passion,  or  neglect  your  prayers, 
or  do  not  do  as  your  parents  tell  you,  you  are  disobeying 
God.  Be  sorry  for  your  disobedience,  and  when  you  say 
your  morning-prayers,  make  a  resolution  to  obey  promptly 
and  cheerfully  those  who  are  set  over  you. 

Having  a  firm  faith,  Abram  trusted  himself  cheerfully 
to  the  guidance  of  divine  providence.  A  childlike  confidence 
in  the  providence  of  our  Heavenly  Father  is  a  great  support 
and  comfort  to  us  in  all  the  circumstances  of  our  lives. 
Unhappy  he  who  has  not  got  this  confidence!  We  do  not 
know  what  will  happen  to  us  in  the  future ;  but  we  do  know 
that  our  Father  in  heaven  cares  for  us,  and  that  not  a 
sparrow  can  fall  to  the  ground  without  His  knowledge  and 
consent.  So  never  mind  what  happens  to  you,  say:  "Whatever 
God  does,  is  well  done,  even  though  I  cannot  understand 
it."  Say  constantly:  "God's  will  be  done!  Thy  will  be 
done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven." 

Chapter  X. 
ABRAM'S  LOVE  OF  PEACE. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

GOD  blessed  Abram  and  increased  his  herds1  and  those 
of  Lot  in  such  a  manner  that  the  pasture  in  that  country 
was  not  sufficient  for  them.  On  this  account  a  strife  arose 
between  the  herdsmen  of  Abram  and  those  of  Lot.  And 
Abram  said  to  Lot:  "Let  there  be  no  quarrel2,  I  beseech 
thee,  between  me  and  thee,  and  between  my  herdsmen  and 
thy  herdsmen ;  for  we  are  brethren  3.   Behold,  the  whole  land 


64  CHAPTER  X. 


is   before   thee4:   depart  from  me,  I  beseech  thee.     If  thou 
wilt  go  to  the  left  hand,  I  will  take  the  right  l  if  thou  choose 


the  right  hand,  I  will  pass  to  the  left."  Lot  chose  the  fertile 
country  about  the  Jordan5,  and  dwelt  in  Sodom.  Abram 
dwelt  in  Hebron,  and  built  there  an  altar  to  the  Lord. 

1  He  had  become  very  rich.  A  little  further  on  it  is  mentioned 
that  he  had  three  hundred  and  eighteen  men  servants  whom  he 
employed  as  soldiers.  He  had  camels,  asses,  sheep  and  oxen.  If  you 
look  at  the  pictures  (pp.  17  and  38  of  the  Bible  History),  you  will  see 
how  camels  are  used  as  beasts  of  burden  in  the  East.  There,  a  good 
camel  costs  a  great  deal  of  money.  The  ass  is  also  a  valuable  beast 
in  those  parts,  being  much  larger  and  stronger  than  our  asses.  They 
do  the  work  of  horses,  yield  very  good  milk,  and  their  flesh  is  eatable. 
—  2  or  lighting.  —  3  Lot  was  Abram's  brother's  son ,  not  his 
brother;  but  among  the  Israelites  all  near  relations  were  called  brothers 
and  sisters.  Thus,  in  the  New  Testament,  the  relatives  of  our  Lord 
were  called  His  brethren,  though  He  had  no  brother.  —  4  i.  e.  you 
may  go  into  any  part  of  the  country  you  choose.  Thus  Abram 
left  the  choice  to  Lot.  —  5  The  Jordan  is  the  principal  river  of  the 
Promised  Land.  It  takes  its  rise  in  Mount  Lebanon  ,  flows  through 
Chanaan  from  north  to  south,  and  runs  into  the  Dead  Sea  (see  map  2). 
The  country  about  the  Jordan  which  Lot  chose,  was  not  the  valley 
north  of  the  Dead  Sea,  but  what  is  now  the  southern  part  of  the  Dead 
Sea  itself ,  south  of  the  peninsula.  This  part  was  not  sea  then  ,  but 
a  beautiful  valley ,  watered  by  springs ,  and  in  which  lay  the  towns 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha.  It  is  only  since  the  destruction  of  those 
cities  that   the   beautiful   plain   has   become  a  part  of  the  Dead  Sea. 

Some  time  after  this,  strange  kings,  having  come  into  the 
land,  began  to  rob  and  plunder  the  cities  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrha,  took  Lot  captive,  and  seized  all  his  substance6. 
As  soon  as  Abram  heard  7  that  Lot  had  been  taken  captive, 
he,  with  three  hundred  and  eighteen  well-armed  men,  his 
servants,  pursued  the  kings,  overtook  them,  rescued  Lot  from 
their  hands,  and  brought  him  back  with  all  his  possessions. 
As  Abram  returned  victorious,  Melchisedech,  king  of  Salem  8, 
and  the  king  of  Sodom  went  out  to  meet  him.  Melchisedech, 
being  a  priest  of  the  Most  High,  offered  to  the  Lord  a  sacrifice 
of  bread  and  wine,  as  a  sacrifice  of  praise  and  thanksgiving 
for  Abram  and  his  servants.  He  blessed  him  and  said: 
"Blessed  be  Abram  by  the  Most  High  God,  by  Whose  protection 
the  enemies  are  in  thy  hands"  9.  Abram  gave  him  the  tithes 10 


ABRAM'S  LOVE  OF  PEACE. 


65 


of  the  booty.  The  king  of  Sodom  then  said  to  Abram: 
"  Give  me  the  persons,  and  the  rest  take  to  thyself. "  But 
Abram  would  accept  of  no  reward11.  Melchisedech  was  a 
figure  of  the  Eternal  High  Priest,  Jesus  Christ.  His  sacrifice 
was  a  figure  of  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 

6  i.  e.  all  that  he  possessed.  —  7  from  one  of  Lot's  people ,  who 
had  fled  from  Sodom  to  Abram  at  Hebron.  Abram  immediately 
collected  together  those  of  his  servants  who  were  strong,  and  able  to 
fight,  pursued  the  kings  who  had  retreated  towards  the  north,  surprised 
them  in  the  night,  defeated  them,  and  set  free  Lot  and  the  other 
prisoners.  —  8  This  was  later  called  Jerusalem.  Melchisedech  believed 
in  the  true  God,  and  was  at  the  same  time  king  and  priest.  As 
priest,  he  blessed  Abram,  and  returned  thanks  to  God  for  his  victory 
over  an  enemy,  who  was  so  much  stronger  than  himself.  His  sacrifice 
was ,  therefore ,  a  thank-offering.  —  9  i.  e.  in  the  power.  —  10  i.  e. 
the  tenth  part  of  everything  that  he  had  taken  from  the  enemy.  He 
gave  him  this,  because  he  was  a  priest.  —  "  Abram  would  not  keep 
anything  for  himself,  but  he  asked  that  the  men,  who  had  fought  with 
him  and  risked  their  lives,  should  have  their  due  share  of  the  booty. 

II.  Commentary. 

Peacemaking.     Abram  was   a  lover   of  peace.     He   was 
older  than  Lot  and,  moreover,  the  head  of  the  family;  yet 


66  CHAPTER  X. 

he  withdrew  in  his  favour,  and  gave  him  the  choice  of  the 
best  pasturage,  rather  than  that  there  should  be  any  further 
strife.  We  ought  to  love  peace  in  the  same  way,  and  prevent 
quarrelling  and  fighting,  as  far  as  we  can.  We  ought  to 
give  up  an  advantage,  and  suffer  some  loss,  rather  than 
begin  a  quarrel;  for  we  are  all  brethren  in  Jesus  Christ. 
"  Blessed  are  the  peace-makers,  for  they  shall  be  called  the 
children  of  God." 

Abram' s  disinterestedness  was  shown  by  his  conduct  on 
two  occasions ;  first,  towards  Lot,  and  next,  towards  the  king 
of  Sodom.  When  Abram  found  it  necessary  to  separate 
from  Lot,  he  did  not  consult  his  own  interests  by  keeping 
the  best  part  of  the  country  for  himself;  though  it  was  to 
him  and  not  to  Lot  that  God  had  promised  the  whole  land ; 
but  he  gave  Lot  his  free  choice  of  the  best  pasturage.  Then, 
when  the  king  of  Sodom  offered  him  all  his  booty  as  a 
reward,  he  refused  to  keep  anything  for  himself.  He  had 
undertaken  the  dangerous  war  out  of  pure  love,  without 
any  thought  of  his  own  profit  or  advantage.  His  love  was, 
therefore,  quite  disinterested.  This  noble  disposition  of 
Abram  puts  to  shame  those  Christians  who  are  always 
seeking  their  own  advantage,  and  who  will  not  even  show 
a  kindness  to  any  one,  without  hope  of  reward.  But  did 
Abram,  then,  receive  no  reward?  Yes,  he  received  the 
reward  of  a  good  conscience.  The  consciousness  that  he  had 
done  a  good  work,  and  had  deserved  a  reward  of  God,  filled 
his  heart  with  very  great  joy.  We,  too,  ought  to  value  the 
approbation  of  our  own  consciences  and  of  Almighty  God, 
far  more  than  the  praise  and  rewards  of  this  .world. 

Real  love  of  our  neighbour.  When  Abram  learnt  the 
misfortune  which  had  overtaken  his  nephew,  he  settled  at 
once  to  go  to  his  help.  He  remembered  no  more  Lot's 
selfish  and  ungrateful  conduct,  but  only  remembered  his 
present  necessity  and  misfortune.  He  sincerely  loved 
Lot,  and  wished  to  help  him,  even  at  the  expense 
of  great  danger ;  for ,  after  all ,  these  powerful  kings 
might  easily  have  defeated  him,  and  killed  or  taken  him 
prisoner. 


ABRAM'S  LOVE  OF  PEACE.  67 

Inordinate  self-love.  J^fc.  ^id  not  behave  well  to  Abram.  Firstly, 
he  ought  never  to  have^ccepfed  Abram's  generous  offer,  and  ought 
rather  to  have  given  the  preference  to  his  uncle.  His  love  of  himself 
was  inordinate,  and,  therefore,  he  became  selfish.  Lot  believed  he  had 
chosen  the  best  portion,  and  yet  his  very  choice  soon  brought  mis- 
fortune to  him.  Secondly,  he  ought  not  to  have  gone  so  far  away 
from  his  beloved  uncle  and  protector.  Thirdly,  he  ought,  anyhow, 
not  to  have  gone  to  live  in  Sodom,  full  as  it  was  of  impious  and 
vicious  men.  There  was  great  danger  there  both  to  himself  and  his 
family,  who  might  be  led  away  by  the  bad  example  round  them. 
We  ought  not  to  throw  ourselves  into  the  company  of  the  wicked, 
and  Ave  ought  to  avoid  all  occasions  of  sin.  We  ought  to  care  more 
for  our  souls ,  and  their  eternal  interests ,  than  for  our  bodies ,  and 
their  temporal  interests.  Lot,  therefore,  did  wrong  in  going  to  Sodom, 
and  putting  his  soul  into  danger,  for  the  sake  of  mere  temporal 
advantages.  And  God  punished  him  for  this  by  letting  the  strange 
kings  rob  him  and  take  him  prisoner. 

Melchisedech,  the  fourth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Melchisedech's 
name  signifies  the  king  of  justice ,  and  he  was  king  of 
Salem,  which  name  means  peace:  Jesus  Christ  is  in  a  far 
higher  sense  King  of  justice,  and  the  Prince  of  peace  who 
bought  for  us  everlasting  peace.  Melchisedech  was  not  only 
a  king,  but  also  a  priest:  Jesus  Christ  is  our  sovereign 
king  and  priest.  Melchisedech  offered  bread  and  wine  to 
God  as  an  unbloody  sacrifice:  Jesus  Christ  offered  Himself 
to  His  Eternal  Father  at  the  Last  Supper,  under  the  form 
of  bread  and  wine,  and  continues  to  do  so  in  the  holy  mass. 
Melchisedech,  after  the  sacrifice,  blessed  Abram  and  his 
servants :  Jesus  Christ,  by  the  hand  of  His  priest,  blesses  the 
faithful  at  the  end  of  mass.  This  will  make  you  understand 
the  meaning  of  what  God  Almighty  says  to  the  Divine 
Redeemer  by  the  mouth  of  the  prophet  David:  "Thou  art 
a  priest  for  ever  after  the  order  of  Melchisedech"  (Ps.  109,  4. 
Compare  New  Test.  LXV). 

You  have  now  learnt  four  types  of  our  Lor d^  namely, 
Adam,  Abel,  Noe  'ana  ikehmisedecri.  ^'i'nese  i^esshow  that 
our  Divine  Redeemer  is,  firstly,  our  Head;  secondly,  the 
Just  One  who  suffered  and  was  slain;  thirdly,  our  Saviour 
from  the  destruction  of  sin  and  hell ;  and  fourthly,  an  eternal 
King  and  Priest  who,  like  Melchisedech,  offers  an  unbloody 
sacrifice. 


68  CHAPTER  XL 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  love  peace  as  Abram  did  ?  What  is  the  principal 
reason  why  you  quarrel  with  other  children?  Try  to  be 
more  unselfish.  "Behold,  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is 
for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity"  (Ps.  132,  1).  If 
you  have  hitherto  been  quarrelsome,  make  it  up  with  your 
comrades  as  soon  as  possible. 

Abram  gave  tithes  of  his  spoils  to  Melchisedech,  because 
he  was  a  priest.  Reverence  the  priesthood.  Priests  are  the 
messengers  of  God. 

Chapter  XI. 

ABRAHAM'S  FAITH  AND  HOSPITALITY  — 
CIRCUMCISION. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  these  things  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Abram 
in  a  vision,  saying :  "  Fear  not  \  I  am  thy  protector 2, 
and  thy  reward  exceeding  great"3.  On  a  certain  night, 
Abram  was  called  by  a  voice  from  heaven  which  said:  "Look 
up  to  the  heaven  and  number  the  stars,  if  thou  canst.  So 
shall  thy  seed  be"4.  Abram  believed,  and  his  faith 5,  together 
with  his  good  works,  justified  him  before  God.  The  Lord 
again  appeared  to  him,  when  he  was  ninety-nine  years  of 
age,  and  said  to  him:  "I  am  the  Almighty  God.  Walk  before 
Me  6  and  be  perfect 7.  Neither  shall  thy  name  be  called  any 
more  Abram,  a  high  father,  but  Abraham,  father  of  a  mul- 
titude, because  I  have  made  thee  a  father  of  many  nations. 
I  will  establish  my  covenant  between  thee  and  Me.  All  the 
male  kind  of  you  shall  be  circumcised8.  Sarai,  thy  wife, 
shall  be  called  Sara,  and  she  shall  bear  thee  a  son  whose 
name  thou  shalt  call  Isaac." 

1  Abram  feared  that  the  kings  whom  he  had  defeated  would 
revenge  themselves  on  him.  —  2  I  will  take  care  of  thee.  —  3  I  will 
give  Myself  to  thee  by  the  eternal  vision,  as  a  reward.  God  promised 
Himself  to  be  Abram's  reward,  because  he  had  refused  to  take  any 
earthly  one  for  what  he  had  done.  The  possession  and  contemplation 
of  God  is  the  highest  of  all  rewards.  —  4  i.  e.  as  numerous  the  stars. 
—  5  His  having  believed  unconditionally  in  God.  —  6  Have  Me  always 


ABRAHAM'S  FAITH  AND  HOSPITALITY-CIRCUMCISION.     69 

before  thine  eyes,  and  remember  that  I  am  always  with  thee.  — 
7  i.  e.  do  only  that  which  is  right  in  my  sight:  lead  a  holy  life  in 
My  presence.  —  8  shall  be  cut  in  the  skin  in  a  particular  way. 

As  Abraham  was  one  day,  about  noon,  sitting  at  the  door 
of  his  tent,  he  saw  three  men  approaching.  He  ran  to  meet 
them9,  bowed  down  before  them,  and  invited  them  to  rest 
in  his  tent  and  partake  of  some  refreshment 10.  Calling  Sara, 
his  wife,  he  told  her  to  make  some  cakes  of  the  finest  flour. 
He  caused  the  best  calf  of  his  herds  to  be  killed  for  the 
entertainment  of  the  unknown  visitors.  Butter,  milk  and 
honey  were  also  placed  before  them,  Abraham  himself  waiting 
upon  his  guests.  After  the  meal,  when  they  were  about  to 
depart ,  one  of  the  strangers  said  to  Abraham  that  after  a 
year  he  would  return,  and  that  Sara,  his  wife,  would  have  a 
son.  Then,  Abraham  understood  that  the  Lord  God  Himself11, 
accompanied  by  angels,  was  his  guest.  Kindness  and  courtesy 
to  strangers  should  be  praised  and  encouraged,  since  God 
rewarded  so  richly  the  hospitality  of  Abraham.  Circumcision 
was  a  figure  of  the  sacrament  of  Baptism. 

9  He  begged  the  strangers,  as  a  favour  to  himself,  to  come  and  be 
entertained  by  him.  —  10  He  also  brought  water  for  them  to  wash 
their  feet.  In  the  East,  in  those  days,  people  did  not  wear  shoes 
or  boots  as  we  do,  but  only  soles  or  sandals,  bound  to  their  feet  by 
straps  (see  pictures  in  Bible  History  pp.  20,  51.  64).  The  feet,  being 
bare ,  became  covered  with  dust ,  and  had  to  be  washed  very  often. 
To  wash  the  feet  of  another  was  a  service  of  love.  —  li  He  knew  this, 
because  the  stranger  revealed  things  to  him  which  only  God  could 
have  known. 

II.  Commentary. 

Faith.  At  the  time  that  Almighty  God  told  Abraham  that 
his  descendants  would  be  as  numerous  as  the  stars  in  the 
heavens,  he  and  his  wife,  Sara,  had  no  children,  and  both  of 
them  were  growing  very  old.  Now,  as  a  rule,  old  people  have 
not  children  born  to  them ,  so  it  seemed  very  unlikely  that 
Abraham  and  Sara  should  have  a  son.  Nevertheless,  Abraham 
believed  firmly  in  God's  promise  that  He  would  give  him  a 
son,  that  his  descendants  would  become  a  great  nation,  and 
that  of  his  family  would  be  born  the  Redeemer.  On  account 
of  his  faith  in  God's  word,  and  especially  in  the  promise  of 


70  CHAPTER  XI. 

the  future  Saviour,  Abraham  was  justified,  i.  e.  he  received 
sanctifying  grace.  Without  faith  no  man  can  be  justified, 
for  "  without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God"  (Hebr.  11,6). 
"The  just  man  liveth  by  faith"  (Rom.  1,  17). 

Hope.  With  firm  confidence  Abraham  waited  for  every 
thing  that  God  had  promised  him,  and  gave  himself  over 
calmly  to  His  guidance.  "By  faith  he  abode  in  the  (strange) 
land",  says  St.  Paul,  "dwelling  in  tents,  for  he  looked  for 
a  city  that  hath  foundations  (i.  e.  the  heavenly  Jerusalem), 
whose  builder  and  maker  is  God"  (Hebr.  11,  9.  10).  He, 
therefore,  regarded  himself  as  a  stranger  and  pilgrim,  and 
looked  forward  to  his  heavenly  home,  and  the  eternal  pos- 
session and  vision  of  God. 

Charity.  Abraham's  faith  was  living,  and  active  through 
love.  He  loved  God  above  all  things,  as  he  proved  in  the 
story  you  will  hear  in  chapt.  XIII.  In  the  last  chapter  we 
saw  how  he  loved  his  neighbour,  and  he  again  proved  this  by 
his  behaviour  to  the  three  strangers.  Abraham,  the  rich 
shepherd-prince,  to  whom  Almighty  God  had  made  such 
great  promises,  ran  to  meet  the  three  strangers,  bowed  down 
before  them,  and  begged  them  to  stay  with  him.  He  washed 
their  feet  and  served  them,  while  they  were  eating,  though 
he  had  servants  in  abundance.  Did  not  this  show  a  great 
love  of  his  neighbour,  and  great  humility  ?  As  a  reward  of  his 
virtue,  God  promised  him  that  in  a  year  he  should  have  a  son. 

Walking  in  the  Presence  of  God.  Thinking  constantly  of 
God's  presence  is  a  powerful  motive  for  the  practice  of  what 
is  good,  and  the  avoidance  of  what  is  evil.  Wherever  we 
are,  there  is  God  with  us,  seeing  every  thing  that  we  think 
and  do !  We  ought,  therefore,  to  live  with  Him,  to  meditate 
on  His  universal  presence,  and  lift  up  our  hearts  to  Him. 
By  doing  this  we  shall  avoid  sin  and  grow  in  virtue. 

The  Old  Covenant.  Almighty  God  made  His  covenant  first 
with  Abraham,  as  being  the  father  of  His  chosen  people. 
Later  (on  Mount  Sinai)  He  confirmed  and  renewed  it  with 
all  the  people  of  Israel.  He  instituted  the  rite  of  circumcision 
as  an  outward  and  visible  sign  of  this  covenant,  that  it 
might  be,  as  it  were,  cut  into  the  flesh  of  His  chosen  people, 


DESTRUCTION  OF  SODOM  AND  GOMORRHA.  71 

so  that  it  could  not  be  forgotten.  This  sign  was  to  speak 
to  the  soul  of  every  man  of  Israel,  saying:  "You  are  a 
member  of  the  chosen  people.  You  belong  to  God,  and 
are  to  serve  Him  only!" 

Circumcision  a  type  of  holy  Baptism.  By  circumcision 
man  belonged  to  the  Old  Covenant :  by  Baptism  he  belongs 
to  the  New.  By  the  first  he  pledged  himself  to  observe  the 
Old  Law :  in  Baptism  we  pledge  ourselves  faithfully  to  observe 
the  Christian  Law.  Circumcision  impressed  an  indelible  mark 
on  the  body;  Baptism  does  the  same  to  the  soul.  The 
difference  lies  in  this,  that  circumcision  could  not  like  Baptism 
cleanse  man  from  sin,  and  make  him  pure  and  holy. 

Heaven.  God  gives  Himself  to  the  blessed  as  their  reward  exceeding 
great.  They  gaze  for  ever  on  His  infinite  majesty,  and  are  eternally 
united  to  Him  in  love  and  happiness.  Oh,  what  joy  to  possess  God 
Himself,  Who  is  infinite  goodness,  beauty  and  holiness.  Could  God 
give  us  more  than  Himself! 

III.  Application. 

Almighty  God  is  near  each  one  of  us,  and  yet  how  little 
we  think  about  Him!  Do  not  ever  again  be  so  forgetful 
of  God,  but  put  yourself  in  His  presence  several  times  each 
day.  Whenever  any  body  whose  opinion  you  respect  is 
looking  at  you,  you  gather  yourself  together,  and  are  careful 
to  do  nothing  wrong!  Should  you  not  have  much  more 
respect  for  God's  presence? 

You  were  put  into  this  world  to  love  and  serve  God.  How 
have  you  served  Him  hitherto?  Could  you  not  serve  Him 
better?  Renew  your  baptismal  vows  to  be  faithful  to  Him 
unto  death! 

Chapter  XII. 
DESTRUCTION   OF   SODOM  AND   GOMORRHA. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

ABRAHAM  went  part  of  the  way1  with  the  strangers, 
who  were  going  to  Sodom.  As  they  journeyed  along 
together,  the  Lord2  said  to  Abraham:  "The  cry  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrha  is  multiplied,  and  their  sin  is  become  exceedingly 
grievous."3     He   told  him   that  He  would   destroy  the  two 


72  CHAPTER  XII. 

cities.  Abraham  was  struck  with  fear;  for,  although  the 
men  amongst  whom  he  lived,  were  wicked,  he  loved  them 
as  neighbours.  At  last,  drawing  near  to  the  Lord,  he  said : 
"Wilt  Thou  destroy  the  just  with  the  wicked?  If  there  be 
fifty  just  men  in  the  city,  shall  they  perish  withal  ?  and  wilt 
Thou  not  spare  that  place  for  the  sake  of  the  fifty  just,  if  they 
be  therein?"  The  Lord  replied:  "If  I  find  in  Sodom  fifty 
just  men  within  the  city,  I  will  spare  the  whole  place  for 
their  sake."  And  Abraham  said:  "Seeing  I  have  once  begun, 
I  will  speak  again  to  my  Lord,  whereas  I  am  but  dust 
and  ashes4.  If  there  be  five  less  than  fifty  just  persons  in 
the  city,  wilt  Thou  destroy  it?"  And  the  Lord  said  to 
Abraham:  "I  will  not  destroy  it,  if  I  find  five  and  forty." 
Abraham  continued  to  plead  in  this  manner,  till  at  last  the 
Lord  said  to  him:  "I  will  not  destroy  it  for  the  sake  of  ten." 
Then  the  Lord  disappeared,  and  Abraham  returned  to  his  tent. 

1  Abraham  not  only  waited  on  the  three  strangers ,  but ,  full  of 
respect,  accompanied  them  on  their  way.  —  2  God,  Who,  in  the  form 
of  a  stranger,  had  appeared  to  Abraham.  —  3  Their  sins  were  many ; 
but  those  of  unchastity  and  impurity  chiefly  reigned  in  the  two  wicked 
cities.  —  4  though  I,  a  sinful,  mortal  man,  am  not  worthy  to  speak 
to  the  Lord  my  God. 

The  ten  just  men  were  not  found  in  Sodom,  and  the  two 
angels  were  sent  to  destroy  it.  They  reached  Sodom  in  the 
evening,  and  found  Lot  sitting  at  the  gate  of  the  city.  Lot 
invited  them  into  his  house,  and  the  angels  said  to  him: 
"  Arise,  get  you  out  of  this  place,  for  the  Lord  will  destroy 
it."  Lot  went  that  night  to  two  young  men  who  were  to 
marry  his  daughters,  and  told  them  to  arise  and  go  fortli, 
for  the  Lord  would  destroy  the  city.  But  they  thought  that 
he  spoke  in  jest.  At  the  first  dawn  of  day  the  angels  pressed 5 
Lot  to  depart,  saying:  "Take  thy  wife  and  thy  two  daughters, 
lest  you  also  perish  in  the  wicked  city."  And,  as  Lot  still 
lingered  6,  they  took  him  by  the  hand,  and,  as  it  were  against 
his  will,  led  him  and  his  family  out  of  the  city,  warning 
them  all  not  to  look  back,  under  pain  of  death.  Lot's  wife, 
however,  looked  back,  and  was  instantly  changed  into  a 
pillar  of  salt.    The  sun  had  just  risen,  when  Lot  entered  the 


DESTRUCTION  OF  SODOM  AND  GOMORRHA. 


73 


neighbouring  city  of  Segor.  Then,  the  Lord  rained  down 
from  heaven  fire  and  brimstone,  and  utterly  destroyed  those 
two  wicked  cities,  with  all  their  inhabitants 7. 

5  They  urged  him.  —  e  hesitating,  and  unable  to  make  up  his 
mind.  —  7  Picture  to  yourselves  this  terrible  judgment  which  overtook 
the  wicked  cities.  As  the  sun  rose  in  the  east,  and  the  inhabitants 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha  woke  from  sleep,  thick  clouds  gathered  over 
them  out  of  which  fire  fell  which  kindled  every  part  of  the  town. 
The  whole  air  was  full  of  smoke  and  sulphur ;  the  flames  roared  and 
licked  up  everything.  The  people,  full  of  fear,  rushed  from  their 
houses,  hoping  to  escape  from  the  city,  but  it  was  impossible  to  get 
out.  The  very  air  was  aglow,  and  the  earth  itself,  full  of  pitch  and 
petroleum,  was  on  fire.  Their  clothes  caught  fire,  and  they  died  a 
terrible  death ,  shrieking  in  agony.  The  whole  country  round  was 
burnt  up,  and  remains  unfruitful  to  the  present  day.  The  earth  sank, 
and  the  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea  rushed  in,  and  covered  the  place 
where  the  wicked  cities  once  stood,  and  formed  what  has  since  then 
been  the  southern  part  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Lot's  wife  who,  against  the 
angel's  express  command,  looked  back,  was  suffocated  and  seized  by 
the  fire,  covered  with  the  molten  bitumen,  so  that  her  corpse  stood 
up  as  a  pillar  of  salt. 

The  Dead  Sea,  the  southern  portion  of  which  (south  of  the  peninsula) 
covers   the  ancient   sites  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha,  is  a  peculiar  and 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  4 


74  CHAPTER  XII. 

most  ghastly  lake.  It  lies  very  low,  900  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
Mediterranean,  and  its  water  is  so  thick  and  bitter  that  no  fish  or 
creeping  thing  can  live  in  it.  If  the  Jordan,  which  flows  into  it,  carries 
to  it  any  fish,  they  die  at  once  and  come  up  to  the  surface.  Therefore, 
the  lake  is  called  the  Dead  Sea.  Objects  thrown  into  it  are  covered 
at  once  with  a  salt-crust,  and  the  stones  on  its  shores  are  covered 
with  bitumen.  On  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  on  the  shores,  great 
flakes  of  bitumen  are  often  found.  The  northern  part  of  the  lake  is 
1300  feet  deep,  but  the  southern  part,  where  the  wicked  cities  once 
stood ,  is  only  thirteen  feet  deep.  This  Dead  Sea  which  covers  the 
once  beautiful  site  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha ,  is  a  terrible  monument 
of  divine  justice. 

II.   Commentary. 

God's  Holiness  and  Justice  are  most  plainly  shown  to  us 
by  the  terrible  fate  of  the  wicked  cities.  The  attack,  made 
on  them  by  the  strange  kings,  was  a  visitation,  permitted 
by  God  for  the  conversion  of  their  wicked  inhabitants.  But 
they  remained  impenitent,  and  were  quite  as  wicked  after, 
as  they  were  before,  that  visitation.  Lot's  good  example 
might  also  have  been  to  them  a  means  of  conversion,  but 
they  paid  no  heed  to  it.  Then,  Almighty  God  could  no  longer 
endure  their  shameful  state  of  vice,  for  sin  is  infinitely 
abhorrent  to  the  Most  Holy  God.  He  utterly  destroyed  the 
wicked  cities  from  oif  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  made  the 
whole  neighbourhood  desolate  so  that  all  men  might  know 
and  fear  His  terrible  justice.  "Reducing  the  cities  of  the 
Sodomites  and  Gomorrhites  to  ashes,  God  condemned  them 
to  be  overthrown",  says  Saint  Peter,  "making  them  an 
example  to  those  that  should  after  act  wickedly"  (2  Pet.  2,  6). 
The  punishment  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha  is,  therefore,  always 
held  up  as  an  example  of  the  divine  justice. 

God's  hatred  of  impurity.  This  sin  having  been  the  chief 
cause  of  the  destruction  of  the  cities,  you  can  see  how  hateful 
it  is  in  the  eyes  of  God,  and  how  severely  He  punishes  it- 
Impurity  is  the  most  shameful  of  all  sins,  and  an  abomination 
before  God.  It  leads  to  many  other  sins,  and  easily  results 
in  impenitence  and  impiety,  as  was  the  case  with  the  in- 
habitants of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha.  Almighty  God  does  not 
always  punish  it  in  this  world,  but  He  will  certainly  do  so 


DESTRUCTION  OF  SODOM  AND  GOMORRHA.  75 

in  the  next  world.  "Do  not  err;  neither  fornicators  nor 
adulterers  shall  possess  the  kingdom  of  God"  (1  Cor.  6,  9). 

The  duty  of  intercessory  prayer.  Intercession  for  the  living 
and  the  dead  is  a  spiritual  work  of  mercy.  Love  prompted 
Abraham  to  pray  for  the  wicked  Sodomites:  love  should 
prompt  you  to  pray  for  others,  for  your  parents,  brothers 
and  sisters ,  and  for  your  spiritual  and  temporal  superiors ; 
but  especially  for  sinners  that  they  may  have  the  grace 
of  conversion,  and  may  not  be  eternally  lost.  "Pray  for 
one  another  that  you  may  be  saved"  (James  5,  16). 

The  characteristics  of  prayer.  Abraham  prayed  with  fervour, 
with  humility ,  with  confidence ,  and  with  perseverance, 
making  his  petition  six  times. 

The  power  of  prayer.  Abraham's  prayer  was  not  made 
in  vain ,  for  Almighty  God  granted  it ,  in  so  far  that ,  had 
there  been  ten  just  men  in  Sodom ,  the  whole  city  would 
have  been  spared.  "The  continual  prayer  of  a  just  man 
availeth  much."  (James  5,  16). 

Lot's  steadfastness  is  worthy  of  our  admiration.  He  lived 
for  twenty  years  in  the  wicked  city,  and  did  not  let  himself 
be  led  away  into  sin,  but  remained  firm  in  what  was  right, 
and  brought  up  his  children  in  the  holy  fear  of  God.  Therefore, 
Holy  Scripture,  in  allusion  to  him,  says :  "  The  Lord  knoweth 
how  to  deliver  the  godly  from  temptation"  (2  Pet.  2,9); 
because  they  pray  and  cooperate  with  grace. 

Sorrow  on  account  of  sin.  Lot's  fellow-citizens  in  Sodom 
"vexed  his  just  soul  with  unjust  works"  (2  Pet.  2,  8).  The 
sins  and  crimes  which  he  was  obliged  to  witness  hurt  his 
holy  soul,  because  God  was  offended  by  them,  and  many 
souls  were  eternally  lost.  We,  far  from  jesting  about  the  sins 
of  others,  should  mourn  over  them.  We  shall  know  by  our 
conduct  in  such  cases,  whether  or  no  we  have  a  true  love  for 
God  and  our  neighbour.    "Blessed  are  they  who  mourn." 

Guardian  angels.  Holy  angels  protected  Lot  and  his 
family.  Lot's  wife  did  not  take  heed  to  their  warning; 
therefore,  she  perished. 

The  torments  of  hell.     The   burning   of  the  wicked  cities  gives  us 
a  faint  idea  of  that  hell  into  which  the  impenitent  Sodomites  were  cast 

4* 


76  CHAPTER  XII. 

for  ever.  The  torments  of  the  burning  inhabitants  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrha  were  very  terrible;  but  the  torments  of  the  lost  souls  in 
hell  are  far  more  terrible.  The  fire  of  Sodom  was  kindled  in  heaven ; 
the  fire  of  hell  is  kindled  by  the  anger  of  God.  The  shrieks  of  the 
burning  Sodomites  were  very  terrible,  but  the  wailing  and  gnashing 
of  teeth  of  the  damned  are  far  worse.  The  bodies  of  the  Sodomites 
were  burnt  and  the  fire  was  extinguished ;  but  the  damned  burn  and 
are  never  consumed,  nor  is  the  fire  ever  quenched. 

Intercession.  This  story  shows  us  how  dear  the  just  are  in  the 
sight  of  God.  Because  Abraham  was  just,  Almighty  God  heard  his 
prayer,  and  would  have  spared  the  cities  for  the  sake  of  ten  just 
people.  Holy  people  living  in  any  town  or  country  bring  a  blessing 
on  the  sinners  among  whom  they  live,  even  though  they  may  be 
scorned  and  persecuted  by  them.  For  their  sake ,  many  a  temporal 
punishment  is  averted.  Cloisters  and  religious  houses  bring  a  blessing 
on  the  places  where  they  exist. 

Inordinate  love  of  temporal  possessions.  Lot's  wife  was  punished 
by  the  death  of  her  body,  because,  being  too  much  attached  to  her 
possessions  which  she  had  been  obliged  to  leave  behind  her  in  Sodom, 
she  paid  no  heed  to  the  angel's  injunctions,  but  stopped  and  looked 
behind  her.  Was  it  not  foolish  of  this  Avoman  to  weigh  the  very 
best  of  earthly  gifts,  life,  in  the  balance  against  her  paltry  household- 
goods?  But  those  act  with  still  greater  madness  who,  from  an 
inordinate  love  of  honours,  riches,  pleasures  &c,  forget  the  salvation 
of  their  souls,  and  lose  those  possessions  and  joys  which  are  eternal. 

Temporal  punishment.  God  rewarded  the  virtue  of  Lot  by  saving 
him  from  the  destruction  of  Sodom.  But  he  lost  all  his  possessions 
which  were  destroyed  with  the  city,  and  he  was  thus  punished  for 
his  selfish  conduct  towards  his  uncle.  By  this  punishment  of  Lot 
and  his  wife,  we  see  that  God  punishes  the  venial  sins  and  imper- 
fections even  of  the  just.  Temporal  punishment  must  be  suffered 
either  in  this  world  or  in  purgatory. 

The  sin  of  Sodom.  The  Sodomites  committed  horrible  and  unnatural 
sins  of  impurity  which  called  down  the  judgment  of  God.  They  are, 
therefore,  counted  among  the  sins  which  cry  to  heaven  for  vengeance. 

III.  Application. 

How  can  you  imitate  Lot's  steadfastness? 

A  just  man  is  wounded  by  the  sins  of  his  fellow  men. 
He  laments  their  wickedness,  and  prays  for  their  conversion. 
How  have  you  behaved  hitherto  in  this  respect?  How  will 
you  behave  for  the  future?  At  the  end  of  this  lesson  we 
will  say  three  Our  Fathers   for  the   conversion   of   sinners. 

Detest  and  fear  sin,  especially  sins  of  impurity.  Set  hell 
before  your  eyes,  think  of  its  horrible  torments,  and  carefully 


BIRTH  OF  ISAAC  AND  ABRAHAM'S  SACRIFICE.  77 

avoid  all  temptations  to  such  sins.  Say  thus:  "What  will 
the  whole  world  profit  me,  if  I  follow  my  own  inclinations, 
and  suffer  eternally  in  hell!" 

Chapter  XIII. 
BIRTH  OF  ISAAC  AND  ABRAHAM'S  SACRIFICE. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

SARA  gave  birth  to  a  son,  as   the  Lord   had  promised1. 
He   was   named   Isaac,  and  circumcised    on  the    eighth 
day2.   Abraham  loved  this  son  very  tenderly,  and  the  Lord 
wished   to   see   whether  he   loved   his   son  more  than  God. 
When  the  boy  had  grown  up3,  the  Lord  said  to  Abraham4: 
"Take  thy  only-begotten  son  Isaac,  whom  thou  lovest,  and 
go  into  the  land  of  vision,  and   there   thou  shalt  offer  him 
for  a  holocaust  5  upon   one   of  the   mountains   which  I  will 
show  thee."   Abraham  instantly  arose 6,  and  by  night  saddled 
his  ass,  taking  with  him  two  young  men,  and  Isaac,  his  son. 
And  when  he  had  cut  the  wood  for  the  holocaust,  he  went 
to  the  place  which  God  had  shown  him.    On  the  third  day 
he  came  in  sight  of  Mount  Moria,  where  he  was  to  sacrifice 
his  son;  and  he  said  to  the  servants:  "Stay  you  here  with 
the  ass ;  I  and  the  boy  will  go  with  speed  as  far  as  yonder, 
and,  after  we  have  worshipped 7,  will  return  to  you."    Then, 
he  took  the  wood  for  the   holocaust,  and  laid  it  upon  the 
shoulders  of  Isaac.     He  himself  carried   in  his  hands  fire 8 
and  a  sword.    As  they  went  along,  Isaac  said:  "My  father." 
And  Abraham  answered:  "What  wilt  thou,  son?"    "Behold", 
said  the  son,  "fire  and  wood:  where  is  the  victim  for  the 
holocaust?"9   Abraham  replied:  "God  will  provide  Himself 
a  victim  for  the  holocaust,  my  son."    So  they  went  on  together. 

1  Abraham  was  already  a  hundred  years  old,  and  his  wife,  Sara, 
ninety.  Both  rejoiced  greatly  at  having  a  son.  —  2  For  the  reason 
Avhy  he  was  circumcised  see  Chapt.  XI.  —  3  He  was  perhaps  about 
twenty  or  twenty-five  years  old.  —  4  Almighty  God  wished  to  prove 
whether  his  faith  were  firm  and  living,  and  if  he  really  loved  Him 
above  all  things.  —  5  In  that  kind  of  sacrifice  the  victim  had  to  be 
first  killed,  and  then  burnt.  —  6  Abraham  obeyed  immediately,  although 


78  CHAPTER  XIII. 

the  required  sacrifice  tore  his  heart.  Since  the  destruction  of  Sodom 
he  had  lived  at  Bersabee  which  lay  to  the  south  of  Hebron.  From 
Bersabee  to  Mount  Moria  which  was  near  Salem,  was  about  twenty-five 
miles.  It  was  on  this  mountain  that ,  in  after  years ,  king  Solomon 
,  built  his  splendid  Temple.  —  7  i.  e.  when  they  had  offered  their 
'sacrifice  in  worship  of  God.  —  8  i.  e.  red  hot  coals  in  a  vessel.  — 
9  How  the  father's  heart  must  have  bled  at  these  questions  of  his 
son!  And  what  must  Isaac  have  felt,  when,  at  last,  his  father  told 
him  that  he  himself  was  to  be  the  victim !  He  was  so  young ;  and 
now,  he  was  to  die  by  the  hand  of  his  own  father !  Nevertheless,  he 
submitted  to  God's  will,  when  he  learnt  that  it  was  He  who  had 
commanded  it. 

When  they  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain,  Abraham 
erected  an  altar,  placed  the  wood  upon  it,  bound  his  son, 
and  laid  him  on  the  altar.  Then,  he  put  forth  his  hand  and 
took  the  sword  to  sacrifice  his  son.  And  behold!  an  angel 
from  heaven  cried  out  to  him,  saying:  "Abraham,  Abraham." 
And  he  answered:  "Here  I  am."  And  the  angel  said:  "Lay 
not  thy  hand  on  the  boy,  neither  do  thou  anything  to  him ! 
Now  I  know  that  thou  fearest  God,  and  hast  not  spared 
thy  only-begotten  son  for  My  sake."  Abraham  lifted  up 
his  eyes  and  saw  behind  him  a  ram10,  sticking  fast  by  his 
horns  in  the  bushes;  him  he  took  and  offered,  instead  of 
his  son.  The  angel  of  the  Lord  spoke  again  unto  Abraham, 
saying:  "By  My  own  self  have  I  sworn11,  saith  the  Lord, 
because  thou  hast  done  this  thing12,  and  hast  not  spared 
thy  only-begotten  son  for  My  sake,  I  will  bless  thee,  and 
will  multiply  thy  seed  as  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  as  the 
sand  that  is  by  the  sea-shore.  And  in  thy  seed  shall  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed 13 ,  because  thou  hast 
obeyed  My  voice."  And  Abraham  returned  home  with 
his  son. 

10  i.  e.  a  male  sheep.  Abraham  saw  that  it  was  by  the  will  of 
God  that  the  ram  was  on  that  spot;  so  he  took  it  and  sacrificed  it, 
instead  of  his  son.  —  M  God,  being  the  Most  High,  can  swear  by 
nothing  higher  than  Himself.  —  12  i.  e.  because  thou  hast  obeyed 
the  command  of  God,  and  wert  willing  to  offer  up  thy  son.  —  13  As 
a  reward  for  his  obedience  God  now  solemnly  repeated  the  same 
promise  which  He  had  made,  when  He  first  called  Abraham,  that  is, 
the  promise  of  a  numerous  posterity,  and  that  the  Saviour  should  be 
born  of  his  family. 


BIRTH  OF  ISAAC  AND  ABRAHAM'S  SACRIFICE. 


79 


II.  Commentary. 

Strength  of  faith.  Abraham's  faith  was  put  to  a  most 
severe  test.  Almighty  God  had  promised  him  a  numerous 
posterity,  and  that  in  his  seed  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
should  be  blessed ;  and  yet  now  He  commands  him  to  sacrifice 
that  son  through  whom  alone  he  could  have  any  descendants ! 
Was  not  this  an  apparent  contradiction?  Nevertheless, 
Abraham's  faith  in  the  word  of  the  Lord  was  unshaken, 
and  he  doubted  neither  the  goodness  nor  the  faithfulness  of 
God.  He  did  not  murmur  and  say:  "How  can  the  good 
God  ask  of  me  such  a  hard  and  unnatural  sacrifice?  How 
can  His  promises  possibly  be  fulfilled,  if  my  only  son  is 
slain?"  No,  on  the  contrary,  he  said  to  himself:  "God 
is  faithful  and  true:  His  promise  will  surely  be  fulfilled, 
though  how,  or  in  what  way,  I  know  not !  God  is  almighty : 
He  is  able  to  raise  up  Isaac  even  from  the  dead"  (Hebr.  11,  19). 
Abraham  believed  so  firmly  that  he  is  called  a  man  of  faith, 
and  the  father  of  the  faithful.  His  example  ought  to  lead 
us  to  believe  firmly  in  God's  word,  and  trust  in  His  goodness 


80  CHAPTER  XIII. 

and  faithfulness ,  never  mind  what  our  temptations  and 
trials  may  be. 

The  love  of  God  above  all  things.  Abraham  had  a  living 
faith,  that  is,  he  lived  up  to  his  faith,  and,  consequently, 
loved  God  above  all  things.  His  love  of  God  had  to  stand 
a  very  severe  test.  He  dearly  loved  the  son  whom  God 
had  given  him,  and  the  command  which  Almighty  God  gave 
him  to  sacrifice  this  son,  was  given  to  prove  whether  he 
loved  Him  more  than  his  son.  Abraham,  however,  did  not 
hesitate  for  an  instant.  He  got  up,  at  once,  in  the  middle 
of  the  night,  and  made  his  preparations  for  the  required 
sacrifice.  He  had  interceded  for  the  wicked  cities,  but  he 
had  no  word  to  say  for  his  son.  He  travelled  alongside  ot 
the  boy  for  three  long  days,  and  his  heart  must  have  sorely 
ached,  as  he  looked  at  Isaac  and  said  to  himself:  "Very 
soon  you  will  no  longer  be  among  the  living,  for  you  will 
have  died  by  the  hand  of  your  own  father!"  However,  his 
resolution  never  failed.  He  lifted  up  his  heart  to  God  and 
said:  "Thou,  0  God,  didst  give  me  this  son.  Thou  hast 
bidden  me  sacrifice  him  to  Thee.  So  be  it!  Thy  holy  will 
be  done !  For  love  of  Thee  I  will  sacrifice  him,  never  mind 
how  hard  it  be  to  me ! "  —  Thus,  during  those  three  days' 
journey  he  offered  up  his  son  a  thousand  times  on  the  altar 
of  his  heart,  before  he  actually  bound  him  and  laid  him  as 
a  victim  upon  the  wood,  and  raised  his  hand  to  slay  him. 
What  great,  what  mighty  love!  Isaac  was  dearer  to  him 
than  anything  on  earth,  and  on  him  he  had  set  all  his  hopes ; 
but  he  loved  God  more  than  he  loved  Isaac,  and  for  love 
of  Him  he  offered  up  his  son.  He  proved  that  he  loved 
God  above  all  things. 

lite  object  of  trials.  Why  did  God  try  Abraham?  Was 
this  trial  necessary  to  show  Him  Abraham's  dispositions? 
Did  He  not  know  beforehand  that  Abraham's  faith  was  firm, 
and  that  he  was  quite  ready  to  sacrifice  his  son  for  love 
of  Him  ?  Yes ;  God  knew  all  this,  because  He  is  omniscient, 
and  for  Him,  therefore,  the  test  was  not  necessary:  He 
need  never  prove  men  in  order  to  discover  their  faith, 
obedience  &c.     Almighty   God   did   not  prove  Abraham  for 


BIRTH  OF  ISAAC  AND  ABRAHAM'S  SACRIFICE.  81 

His  own  sake  but  for  Abraham's,  in  order  to  give  him  the 
opportunity  of  practising  his  virtues  of  faith,  love  &c,  and 
of  thus  increasing  his  merits,  and  drawing  down  on  himself 
fresh  graces  and  blessings.  This  is  why  Almighty  God  so 
often  tries  us  with  all  sorts  of  sufferings  and  adversities, 
these  tests  being  of  great  benefit  to  ourselves. 

The  third  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  words:  "In  thy 
seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed"  contain 
a  renewed  promise  of  the  Redeemer. 

Isaac,  the  fifth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  (We  have  already 
studied  the  first  four  types:  Adam,  Abel,  Noe  and  Melchisedech.) 
In  what  way  was  Isaac  a  type  of  our  Blessed  Lord  ?  The  birth 
of  Isaac  was  promised  repeatedly:  so  was  the  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Isaac  was  the  only  and  dearly  beloved  son  of  his. 
father :  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only-begotten  and  beloved  Son  of 
God,  in  Whom  His  Father  is  well  pleased  (New  Test.  XII). 
Isaac  was  obedient  to  his  father,  and  was  willing,  out  of 
obedience,  to  give  up  his  life,  letting  himself  be  bound,  and 
waiting  patiently  for  his  death-stroke:  Jesus  Christ  was 
obedient  to  His  Heavenly  Father,  unto  death,  even  unto  the 
death  of  the  Cross.  "As  a  sheep  He  was  led  to  the  slaughter, 
and  like  a  lamb  without  a  voice  before  his  shearer,  so  opened 
He  not  His  mouth"  (New  Test.  LXXXVII).  Isaac  himself 
carried  up  the  mountain  the  wood  on  which  he  was  to  be 
slaughtered:  Jesus  Christ  carried  up  Calvary  the  Cross  on 
which  He  was  to  die.  Isaac  was  saved  from  death  by  the 
wonderful  intervention  of  an  angel :  Jesus  Christ  was  brought 
back  to  life  by  the  greatest  of  all  miracles,  His  resurrection. 
You  see  in  how  many  ways  Isaac  was  a  most  plain  type 
of  our  Redeemer,  of  His  death  and  of  His  resurrection ;  but 
the  sacrifice  of  Isaac  is,  all  the  same,  not  a  perfect  type 
of  the  Sacrifice  of  our  Lord,  for  no  figure  can  perfectly 
show  forth  the  infinite  love  of  God  in  giving  His  Son  to 
die  for  us.  On  one  main  point  Isaac's  sacrifice  was  very 
different  from  the  Sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ.  Abraham  was 
quite  ready,  out  of  love  for  God,  to  offer  up  his  beloved 
son;  but  Almighty  God  would  not  permit  the  sacrifice  to 
be  completed,  because   sinful   man   could   not  be   redeemed 


82  CHAPTER  XIV. 

by  a  human  sacrifice ;  and,  therefore,  the  angel  of  God  cried 
out  to  him,  just  as  he  was  going  to  slay  his  son:  "Hold 
thy  hand ! "  God  spared  the  son  of  Abraham ,  but  He  did 
not  spare  His  own  Son,  but  gave  Him  over  to  a  painful 
death  for  our  sakes.  When,  on  Calvary,  the  executioners 
raised  their  hammers  to  nail  to  the  Cross  the  Hands  and 
Feet  of  God  made  Man,  no  angel  cried  out:  "Hold  thy  hand!" 
The  Sacrifice  was  completed ,  and  the  Son  of  God  died  for 
us  on  the  Cross  in  unutterable  agony  of  Soul  and  Body. 
"God  so  loved  the  world  as  to  give  His  only-begotten  Son 
that,  whosoever  believeth  in  Him,  may  not  perish,  but  may 
have  life  everlasting"  (New  Test.  XV). 

The  Vicarious  Sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  ram  whose  head  was 
caught  in  the  thorns,  and  which  was  sacrificed,  instead  of  Isaac,  is 
a  type  of  Jesus  Christ,  Who  was  crowned  with  thorns,  and  offered 
Himself  for  us  on  the  Cross. 

III.  Application. 

Abraham  obeyed  without  any  questioning,  when  God  de- 
manded of  him  the  hardest  of  sacrifices.  God  asks  nothing- 
very  hard  of  you,  and  yet  you  are  often  disobedient,  and 
transgress  those  commandments  which ,  by  the  help  of  His 
grace,  you  might  very  easily  keep.  When  you  disobey  your 
parents,  you  disobey  God,  for  it  is  His  will  that  you  should 
obey  your  parents  and  superiors.  Make  a  point,  then,  of 
offering  up  in  sacrifice  to  God  the  faults  to  which  you  are 
most  prone. 

Abraham  practised  the  three  theological  virtues  of  faith, 
hope  and  charity  in  a  most  perfect  way.  Try  to  kindle 
them  in  your  own  hearts.  Let  us  conclude  this  lesson  by 
making  acts  of  these  virtues. 

Chapter  XIV. 
ISAAC  MARRIES  REBECCA. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

NOW ,  Abraham  was  advanced  in  years  1 ,  and  the  Lord 
had  blessed  him  in  all  things.     He,  however,  wished, 
before  his  death,  to  see  his  son  wedded  to  a  virtuous  wife. 


ISAAC  MARRIES  REBECCA.  83 

But,  as  the  daughters  of  the  land  were  wicked2,  he  said 
to  his  old  servant  Eliezer:  "Go  to  my  own  country  and 
kindred3,  and  take  a  wife  thence  for  my  son  Isaac;  but  beware 
lest  thou  take  one  of  the  daughters  of  the  Chanaanites, 
among  whom  I  dwell."  The  servant  promised  faithfully  all 
that  Abraham  had  commanded  him.  He,  then,  took  ten  camels 
of  his  master's  herd,  loaded  them  with  rich  presents,  and 
set  out  for  Haran,  where  Nachor,  the  brother  of  Abraham, 
dwelt.  Arriving  there,  he  let  his  camels  rest  near  a  well, 
outside  the  city.  It  was  in  the  evening,  the  time  when  the 
young  women  were  wont  to  come  out  to  draw  water  from 
the  well.  Then,  he  prayed  fervently  within  himself  that 
heaven  might  prosper  his  undertaking:  "0  Lord,  I  beseech 
Thee,  show  kindness  to  my  master  Abraham.  Behold,  I  stand 
nigh  the  spring,  and  the  daughters  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
city  will  come  out  to  draw  water.  Now,  therefore,  the  maid 
to  whom  I  shall  say:  'Let  down  thy  pitcher  that  I  may 
drink,'  and  she  shall  answer:  'Drink,  and  I  will  give  thy 
camels  drink  also,'  let  it  be  the  same  whom  Thou  hast  provided 
for  Thy  servant  Isaac;  and  by  this  I  shall  understand  that 
Thou  hast  shoAvn  kindness  to  my  master." 

1  Abraham  was,  now,  140  years  old,  and  Isaac  40.  —  2  The  inha- 
bitants of  Chanaan  did  not  believe  in  the  true  God,  but  worshipped 
idols.  —  3  Before  Abraham  lived  in  Chanaan  he  had  lived  with 
his  father  in  Haran  of  Mesopotamia.  Haran  was  about  200  miles 
from  Bersabee. 

He  had  not  yet  ended  his  prayer  when  Rebecca,  a  beautiful 
and  modest  maiden,  came  out,  carrying  a  pitcher.  She  went 
down  to  the  spring4,  filled  the  pitcher,  and  was  returning, 
when  Eliezer  ran  to  meet  her  and  said:  "Give  me  a  little 
water  to  drink  out  of  thy  pitcher."  She  answered  him  kindly: 
"Drink,  my  lord."  And  quickly  she  let  down  the  pitcher 
upon  her  arm,  and  gave  him  drink.  And  when  he  had  drunk, 
she  said:  "I  will  draw  water  for  thy  camels  also  till  they 
all  drink."  Then,  pouring  water  into  the  troughs,  she  let  the 
camels  drink 5.  After  they  had  drunk,  the  servant  presented 
her  with  golden  ear-rings  and  bracelets 6 ,  saying  to  her : 
"Whose  daughter  art  thou?     Tell  me,  is  there  any  place 


84  CHAPTER  XIV. 

in  thy  father's  house  to  lodge?"  She  answered:  "I  am 
the  daughter  of  Bathuel,  the  son  of  Nachor.  We  have  a 
good  store  of  both  straw  and  hay,  and  a  large  place  to 
lodge  in."  Then,  Eliezer  bowed  down  and  adored  the  Lord, 
saying :  "  Blessed 7  be  the  Lord  of  my  master  Abraham,  Who 
hath  not  taken  away  His  mercy  and  truth  from  my  master, 
and  hath  brought  me  the  straight  way  into  the  house  of 
my  master's  brother!" 

4  This  was  not  a  running  stream,  but  a  well  dug  in  the  ground, 
to  reach  which  a  step  had  to  be  mounted.  Above,  near  the  step, 
was  a  drinking  trough,  made  of  wood  or  stone,  into  which  water  was 
poured  for  the  cattle.  —  5  This  was  hard  work,  for  there  were  ten 
camels,  each  of  which  drank  a  great  quantity  of  water.  —  6  Broad 
rings  or  bands  to  wear  on  the  wrists.  —  7  Or  praised  be. 

He  was,  then,  invited  to  the  house,  and  bread  was  set 
before  him,  but  he  refused  to  eat,  until  he  had  delivered 
his  message.  When  he  had  stated  the  object  of  his  coming, 
Laban,  the  brother  of  Rebecca,  and  Bathuel,  her  father, 
answered:  "The  word  hath  proceeded  from  the  Lord8:  we 
cannot  speak  any  other  thing  but  His  pleasure.  Behold! 
Rebecca  is  before  thee:  take  her  and  go  thy  way,  and  let 
her  be  the  wife  of  thy  master's  son,  as  the  Lord  hath  spoken." 
Then,  the  servant  bowed  down  to  the  ground,  adored  the 
Lord,  and,  bringing  forth  vessels  of  gold  and  silver,  with 
garments  of  the  finest  texture,  presented  them  to  Rebecca. 
He,  also,  presented  rich  gifts  to  her  brother  and  mother. 
Then,  full  of  joy,  he  partook  of  the  refreshments  offered  to 
him.  Next  morning,  after  Rebecca  had  received  the  blessing 
of  her  parents  and  brother,  she  set  out  with  her  maidens 
for  her  destined  home,  and,  on  arriving  there,  became  the 
wife  of  Isaac.  Abraham  lived  many  years  after  Isaac's 
marriage.  He  died,  aged  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  years, 
and  was  buried  by  his  son  at  Hebron9,  where  Sara,  his 
wife,  had  been  buried  before. 

8  God  has  so  ordained  it.  —  9  Hebron  was  twenty-five  miles  to  the 
south  of  Jerusalem  (see  map).  Near  this  town  was  a  double  cave 
which  Abraham  had  bought  for  a  family  burial  place.  This  cave 
was  the  only  possession  which  Abraham  had  in  the  Promised  Land. 
Sara  who  had  died  three  years  before  Isaac's  marriage  was  buried  there. 


ISAAC  MARRIES  REBECCA.  85 

II.  Commentary. 

Unity  of  faith  the  chief  thing  in  married  life.  Almighty 
God  chose  Abraham  in  order  that  through  him  and  his 
descendants  the  true  faith  might  be  preserved  and  spread. 
Therefore,  Abraham  was  very  particular  to  choose  for  his 
son  Isaac  a  wife  who  believed  in  and  served  the  true  God. 
He  was  resolved  that  Isaac  should  not  marry  any  of  the 
daughters  of  the  heathen  Chanaanites,  however  beautiful  or 
rich  they  might  be ,  for  fear  that  either  he  or  his  children 
should  become  weak  and  wavering  in  their  faith.  His  first 
care  was  that  his  son's  wife  should  hold  the  true  faith.  It 
should  likewise  be  the  first  thought  of  all  Catholics,  for  unity 
and  agreement  in  faith  is,  above  all  things,  necessary  to  a 
happy  marriage.  Married  people  who  look  on  religion  as 
a  secondary  consideration  are  on  the  high  road  to  in- 
difference about  their  faith,  and  even  to  a  denial  of  it 
altogether. 

Eliezer  the  model  of  a  faithful  servant.  Eliezer  fulfilled  his 
master's  commission  not  only  with  prudence,  but  also  with 
zeal,  for  he  would  not  even  eat,  until  he  had  delivered  his 
message,  and  wished  to  return  to  his  master  as  soon  as 
possible  after  having  done  so.  He,  like  Abraham,  was 
remarkable  for  his  piety  and  confidence  in  God.  He  prayed 
fervently  for  guidance  in  making  a  good  choice,  and  thanked 
God  for  the  gracious  guidance  vouchsafed  to  him. 

The  virtues  displayed  by  Rebecca.  She  was  kind  and  hospi- 
table to  Eliezer,  and  compassionate  towards  the  thirsty 
camels.  She  voluntarily  offered  to  draw  water  for  the  beasts, 
without  waiting  for  Eliezer  to  ask  her  to  do  so.  He  knew 
by  this  action  that  she  had  a  kind  heart  as  well  as  that  she 
was  the  bride  destined  by  God  for  Isaac.  God  looks  to  the 
heart  and  not  to  the  outward  appearance,  and  chose  Rebecca, 
on  account  of  her  virtues,  to  be  the  wife  of  the  patriarch 
Isaac,  and,  therefore,  one  of  those  from  whom  the  Divine 
Redeemer  was  descended. 

A  summary  of  Abraham's  virtues.  Faith  and  hope,  love 
of  God  and  his  neighbour,  hospitality,  obedience,  love  of 
peace,  disinterestedness  and  final  perseverance. 


86  CHAPTER  XV. 

Limbo.  Where  did  Abraham's  soul  go  after  death  ?  "  He  was 
gathered  to  his  people"  (Gen.  25,  8),  i.  e.  he  joined  the  souls  of  the 
just  (such  as  Adam,  Abel,  Seth,  Henoch,  Noe  &c),  in  Limbo.  There 
they  enjoyed  a  perfectly  happy  repose ,  being  consoled  by  the  hope 
of  Redemption  and  of  being  some  day  taken  to  heaven. 

III.  Application. 

Begin  and  end  each  day,  or  any  important  undertaking, 
with  a  prayer  for  God's  blessing.  Begin  with  God  and  leave 
off  with  God;  that  is  the  best  rule  of  life. 

Are  you  obliging  to  your  friends,  and  to  strangers,  as 
Rebecca  was?  Think  in  what  way  you  can  help  others, 
whether  brothers,  comrades,  friends,  or  strangers,  and  resolve 
to  make  use  of  your  opportunities.  God  will  reward  each 
little  service  you  perform. 

Chapter  XV. 
ESAU  AND  JACOB. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

ISAAC 1  and  Rebecca  remained  twenty  years  without  children. 
At  length  God  heard  their  prayer2,  and  gave  them  two 
sons.  The  first-born3,  Esau,  was  red  and  hairy,  and  of  a 
rough,  harsh  temper.  Jacob,  the  second,  was  smooth  in 
appearance  and  gentle  in  his  bearing.  Esau  became  a  skillful 
hunter  and  husbandman.  Jacob  was  a  plain  man,  and  dwelt 
in  tents.  Isaac  loved  Esau,  and  ate  with  pleasure  the  game 
that  he  had  killed.  Rebecca,  on  the  other  hand,  loved  the 
mild  and  gentle  Jacob.  She  loved  him  the  more,  because  an 
angel  had  revealed  to  her  in  a  vision  that  he,  instead  of 
Esau,  had  found  favour  with  God  4.  One  day  Jacob  was  cooking 
a  mess  of  pottage 5,  when  Esau,  coming  home  from  the  field, 
faint  with  hunger,  said  to  his  brother:  "Give  me  of  this 
pottage,  for  I  am  hungry."  Jacob  said  to  him:  "Sell  me  thy 
first  birthright."  Esau  replied:  "Lo,  I  die  of  hunger6:  what 
will  the  first  birthright  avail  me?"  Jacob  answered:  "Swear, 
therefore,  to  me."  Esau  swore7  and  sold  his  birthright.  And 
taking  bread  and  the  mess  of  pottage,  he  ate  and  drank 
and  went  away,  making  little  account  of  having  sold  his 
birthright. 


ESAU  AND  JACOB. 


87 


1  Almighty  God  made  to  him  the  same  promises  as  he  had  made 
to  his  father  Abraham.  —  2  They  had  prayed  for  many  years  that 
they  might  have  a  son  who  would  be  heir  of  the  promises.  —  8  Or 
the  eldest.  —  4  i.  e.  that  it  was  God's  will  that  he  should  have 
precedency  over  Esau;  that  he  was  to  be  the  heir  of  the  promises, 
the  forefather  of  the  chosen  people,  and  of  the  Divine  Redeemer.  — 
5  A  soup  of  lentils.  —  6  This  was  evidently  an  exaggeration.  He 
might  have  appeased  his  hunger  with  other  food;  but  he  had  set 
his  heart  on  this  particular  mess  of  lentils ,  and  would  have  nothing- 
else.  —  7  He  swore  to  give  over  to  Jacob  his  birthright,  or  his  right 
of  being  eldest.  The  first-born  son  received  a  doubleportion  of  his 
father's  inheritance,  and,  after  his  father's  death,  henoecame  the  head 
and  nriest  of  the  family.  In  the  time  of  the  patriarchs,  it  entailed  not 
only  these"  temporal  advantages ,  but  spiritual  advantages  also ,  for  i 
by  his  father's  blessing  the  first-born  was  made  the  heir  of  the  t 
divine  promises.  *  It  was,  therefore,  most  foolish  and  frivolous  of  Esau 
to  selTtnese  important  rights  for  a  mere  mess  of  pottage! 

Now,  Isaac  was  old 
and  had  lost  his  eye- 
sight8. One  day  he 
called  Esau,  his  son, 
and  said  to  him:  "My 
son,  thou  seest  I  am 
old,  and  I  know  not 
the  day  of  my  death. 
Take  thy  arms ,  thy 
quiver9  and  bow,  and 
go  abroad10;  and  when 
thou  hast  taken  some- 
thing by  hunting,  make 
me  savoury  meat 
thereof,  as  thou  knowest  I  like,  and  bring  it  that  I  may 
eat,  and  my  soul  may  bless  thee  before  I  die."  Esau 
promptly  obeyed  the  command  of  his  father,  and  went  to 
the  fields  to  hunt.  Rebecca  had  overheard  the  words  of  Isaac, 
and  fearing  that,  contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  Esau  might 

*  In  those  old  and  venerable  patriarchal  days  children  esteemed  their 
father's  blessing  very  highly.  It  was  to  them  the  most  valuable  part  of 
the  paternal  inheritance,  and  was  like  a  sacrament,  by  means  of  which  God 
conveyed  to  them  the  blessing  which  He  had  imparted  to  their  forefathers,  * 
and  made  them  the  heirs  of  the  promises  (Dupanloup,  "De  l'P^ducation").  * 


88  CHAPTER  XV. 

be  preferred  to  Jacob,  she  said  to  him:  "Now,  my  son, 
follow  my  counsel.  Go  to  the  flock  and  bring  me  two  of 
the  best  kids  that  I  may  make  of  them  meat  for  thy  father, 
such  as  he  gladly  eateth;  so  that,  after  having  eaten  it,  he 
may  bless  thee  before  he  die."  Jacob  hastened  to  the  flock 
and  brought  two  kids.  Rebecca  prepared  them  as  though 
they  were  game,  and,  then,  clothed  Jacob  in  Esau's  best 
garments,  and  covered  his  neck  and  hands  with  the  skin11 
of  the  kids,  and  sent  him  to  his  father  with  the  meats  she 
had  prepared.  Isaac  asked:  "Who  art  thou,  my  son?"  Jacob 
answered:  "I  am  Esau,  thy  first-born;  I  have  done  as  thou 
hast  commanded;  arise,  sit,  and  eat  of  my  venison  that 
thy  soul  may  bless  me."  Isaac  said  again:  "Come  hither 
that  I  may  feel  thee 12,  my  son,  and  may  prove  whether  thou 
be  my  son  Esau  or  no."  Jacob,  then,  drew  near  to  his  father, 
and  Isaac  touching  him,  said:  "The  voice,  indeed,  is  the 
voice  of  Jacob,  but  the  hands  are  the  hands  of  Esau"13. 
And  he  gave  him  his  blessing. 

8  He  was  137  years  old  and  quite  blind.  —  9  A  sheath  in  which 
arrows  are  placed ,  something  like  the  sheath  into  which  a  soldier 
puts  his  sword.  —  10  Out  hunting.  —  ll  The  skins  of  Angora-goats, 
the  hair  of  which  is  very  soft.  —  12  That  I  may  know  by  the  touch. 
—  13  They  are  as  hairy  as  the  hands  of  Esau. 

Scarcely  had  Jacob  gone  out,  when  Esau  came  with  the 
game  he  had  taken  and  cooked  for  his  father.  "Arise,  my 
father,  and  eat,"  said  he.  Isaac,  in  surprise,  asked  him: 
"Who  art  thou?"  and  he  answered:  "I  am  thy  first-born 
soil  Esau."  And  Isaac  saw  that  Jacob  had  deceived  him14. 
Then,  Esau  roared  out  with  a  great  cry,  saying:  "He  hath 
already  taken  from  me  my  birthright15,  and  now,  he  hath 
robbed  me  of  my  father's  blessing"16.  Then,  he  said  to  his 
father:  "Hast  thou  kept  no  blessing  for  me?"  And  as  he 
continued  to  cry  out  and  lament,  Isaac,  moved  with  compassion, 
said  to  him:  "In  the  fat  of  the  earth,  and  in  the  dew  of 
heaven  from  above,  shall  thy  blessing  be.  Thou  shalt  live 
by  the  sword,  and  shalt  serve  thy  brother;  but  the  time 
shall  come  when  thou  shalt  shake  off  and  loose  his  yoke 
from  thy  neck."   From  this  time  Esau  hated  his  brother. 


ESAU  AND  JACOB.  89 

14  No  doubt  Isaac  remembered  what  God  had  revealed  to  Rebecca 
about  His  choice  of  Jacob.  —  15  Was  that  true  ?  No,  for  he  himself 
had  sold  it  to  Jacob.  Now,  in  his  anger,  he  laid  all  the  blame  on 
his  brother.  —  16  i.  e.  the  blessing  to  which. I,  as  the  eldest  son, 
have  the  right.  But  he  no  longer  had  a  right  to  it,  having  sold  his 
birthright,  and  sworn  with  an  oath  that  he  gave  up  all  claim  to  it. 
He  ought  to  have  told  his  father  this,  when  Isaac  announced  his 
intention  of  giving  him  his  blessing. 

II.  Commentary. 

Jacob's  selfishness.  Jacob  did  not  behave  either  nicely  or 
rightly,  when  he  turned  his  brother's  desire  for  the  pottage 
to  his  own  advantage,  and  asked  such  a  high  price  for  it. 
He  behaved  very*  selfishly,  and  not  at  all  like  his  unselfish 
grandfather,  Abraham. 

Lies  and  dissimulation.  Jacob  sinfully  deceived  his  father 
in  a  twofold  way.  To  begin  with,  he  told  a^j^^cj^jje^;  but 
he,  also,  lied  to  his  father  in  another  way,  by  dissimulating, 
putting  on  Esau's  clothes  which  smelt  of  the  field,  and  covering 
his  hands  with  the  hairy  skins.  It  is  quite  possible  to  lie 
without  speaking  a  word.  When  you  dissimulate,  and  lie 
by  your  actions,  you  sin  against  the  eighth  Commandment 
quite  as  much  as  if  you  told  a  lie  in  so  many  words. 

Sharing  the  guilt  of  another's  sin.  The  fact  that  his  mother 
induced  him  to  deceive  his  father,  was  a  partial  excuse  for 
Jacob.  Jacob,  indeed,  carried  out  the  deception,  but  Rebecca 
induced  him  to  do  so,  so  that  she  shared  in  his  sin.  But 
Jacob  was  not  compelled  to  obey  his  mother,  when  she  toldf 
him  to  act  thus  deceitfully!  J» 

The  frivolity  and  greediness  of  Esau.  The  elder  brother 
sinned  by  longing  too  greedily  for  the  mess  of  pottage,  and 
by  selling,  in  order  to  gratify  a  desire  of  the  moment,  his 
birthright,  to  which  were  attached  such  great  privileges.  He 
ought  not  to  have  given  up  his  right  to  be  the  heir  of  the 
promises,  and  the  forefather  of  the  Divine  Redeemer,  for 
any  price  which  the  world  could  have  offered  him.  By  giving 
way  to  a  momentary  and  sensual  desire,  he  proved  how  little 
he  valued  the  good  things  of  a  higher  kind  which  were 
held  out  to  him.  St.  Paul,  therefore,  calls  him,  "a  profane 
person"  (Hebr.  12,  16).     Esau  should  have   overcome  his 


90  CHAPTER  XV. 

inordinate  appetite.  In  order  to  attain  to  the  virtue  of 
temperance  we  must  carefully  deny  ourselves. 

Sinful  oaths.  Esau  also  sinned  by  lightly  taking  an  oath 
which  was  not  necessary. 

Anger  is  a  capital  sin.  Even  as  Esau  was  outwardly 
rough  and  hairy,  so  also  was  his  character  harsh  and  un- 
governable. He  conceived  a  great  anger  towards  his  brother ; 
his  anger  turned  to  hatred ;  and  hatred  induced  him  to  form 
the  wicked  project  of  killing  his  brother.  In  his  blind  passion 
he  quite  forgot  how  the  murderer  Cain  had  been  punished,  and 
gave  no  thought  to  the  grief  which  his  hatred  was  causing  his 
parents  (compare  Commentary  on  the  envy  of  Cain.  Chapt.  V). 

Fulfilment  of  the  blessing.  Isaac  said  to  Jacob:  "Thy 
mother's  children  shall  bow  down  before  thee."  This  came 
to  pass,  for  the  descendants  of  Jacob,  or  the  Israelites, 
overcame  all  other  nations.  But  this  promise  has  found  its 
most  complete  fulfilment  in  our  Divine  Saviour,  Who,  by 
His  human  nature,  was  descended  from  Jacob.  All  Christian 
nations  bow  down  to  Him,  their  supreme  Lord. 

The  folly  of  sinners.  Many  men,  alas,  imitate  foolish, 
frivolous  Esau,  who  sold  such  great  treasures  for  a  mere 
mess  of  pottage.  Every  Christian  who  commits  a  mortal  sin, 
acts  more  foolishly  than  Esau,  for  he  barters  away  treasures 
which  are  priceless  and  eternal,  for  a  passing,  sinful  desire. 
He  renounces  the  grace  of  God,  inward  peace  and  joy,  and 
all  his  merits ;  and  draws  down  on  himself  the  curse  of  God 
and  eternal  damnation.  Therefore,  St.  Paul  says:  "Look 
diligently,  lest  any  man  be  wanting  in  the  grace  of  God, 
lest  there  be  any  profane  person  like  Esau  who  for  one 
mess  sold  his  birthright"  (Hebr.  12,  15  &c).  Esau  wept 
loudly  for  the  loss  of  his  father's  blessing;  "but  how  will 
the  children  of  this  world  mourn  and  wail  on  the  great  Day 
of  Judgment?  Stupefied  by  their  passions  they  bartered 
away  their  claim  to  heaven  and  all  the  imperishable  treasures 
of  the  children  of  God,  for  the  passing  pleasures  of  sin; 
and  on  that  day  they  will  find  themselves,  in  very  deed,  shut 
out  from  heaven  and  condemned  to  everlasting  torments."5 

*  Erdmann,  Erklarung  d.  Bibl.  Gesch.  I.  (Munster  1875),  102. 


ESAU  AND  JACOB.  91 

The  end  does  not  justify  the  means.  Rebecca  and  Jacob's  intention 
in  deceiving  Isaac  was  Jjood.  They  knew  that  Almighty  God  had 
chosen  Jacob  to  be  the  heir  of  the  promises,  and  they  feared  that 
His  will  would  not  be  accomplished,  if  Esau  succeeded  in  obtaining 
the  blessing  of  the  first-born.  True ;  but  ought  they  to  have  committed 
a  sin  to  attain  this  end?  No!  sin  remains  sin,  even  if  you  have  the 
best  of  intentions  in  committing  it,  ana  the  noblest  of  ends  to  attain. 
Rebecca  and  Jacob  ought ,  like  Abraham ,  to  have  had  confidence  in  j 
God ,  and  said :  "  The  Almighty  and  Allwise  God  will  carry  out 
His  oAvn  will,  even  if  we  cannot  see  how."  Instead  of  this,  they 
took  divine  providence  into  their  own  hands,  and  committed  a  sin. 
Thus,  want  of  faith  and  confidence  in  God  was  the  real  cause  of ! 
their  sin. 

Temporal  punishment.  Esau's  indifference  was  punished  by  the 
loss  of  the  rights  of  the  first-born,  not  only  to  himself,  but  to  all 
his  descendants,  the  Edomites.  Rebecca  and  Jacob  were,  also,  punished 
in  this  world.  Jacpkconfessed  and  repented ^of  his  sin,  and,  therefore, 
God  forgave  nrm7  but  he  did  penance  for  it  during  nianv  a  long 
year.  As  you  will  read  in  the  following  chaplers ,  lie  had  to  flee 
from  his  brother,  and  serve  for  t\venty_years  in  a  strange  land.  Later 
in  his  life  he  was  caused  much  griefj)v  his  ownj3ons,  who  deceived 
him  even  more  cruelly  than  he  deceived  Isaac,  making  out  that  a 
wild  beast  had  devoured  his  dear  son  Joseph.  Thus  severely  had 
he  to  expiate  his  one  sin!  Rebecca,  who  had  sinned  through  love  of 
Jacob,  was  punished  by  having  to  part  with  him,  and  never  see  him 
again  in  this  life.  In  all  this  the  divine  justice  is  most  clearly  seen. 

The  Wisdom  of  God,  which  makes  good  to  come  out  of  evil,  can  be 
learnt  from  this  story.  Almighty  God  had  from  the  beginning,  or 
rather  from  all  eternity,  chosen  Jacob  to  be  the  heir  of  His  promises. 
The  faults  of  men  (such  as  Isaac's  preference  for  Esau,  Jacob's  deceit, 
and  Esau's  hatred)  could  not  alter  what  He  had  ordained ;  on  the 
contrary,  they  served,  under  the  divine  guidance,  for  the  accomplishment 
of  it.  Jacob,  especially,  was  strengthened  in  confidence  in  God,  and 
purified  by  the  very  consequences  of  his  deceit,  his  long  exile  and 
servitude.  He  was  by  them  confirmed  in  humility  and  piety,  and 
trained  to  be  a  holy  man  of  God ,  and  the  worthy  heir  of  the 
promises. 

III.  Application. 

Esau  sinned  through  his  greedy  desire  for  the  pottage. 
Have  you  never  sinned  by  gluttony  ?  Try  for  the  future  to 
overcome  your  greedy  desires.  Bear  hunger  and  thirst  for 
a  short  time  with  cheerfulness;  and  be  not  dainty  about 
your  food.  He  who  does  not  tame  his  appetites,  and  deny 
himself,  cannot  be  virtuous  or  happy. 


92 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Jacob  ought  to  have  given  the  mess  willingly  to  his  hungry 
brother.  Have  you  never  been  selfish  towards  your  brothers 
and  sisters,  and  wished  to  keep  everything  for  yourself,  or 
chosen  the  best  or  largest  portion  for  yourself? 

Do  you  ever  tell  lies?  Some  day  you  must  make  satis- 
faction for  every  lie.  God  hates  lies,  because  He  is  the  very 
truth.  If  you  wish  to  be  a  child  of  God,  always  tell  the  truth. 
"Lying  lips  are  an  abomination  to  the  Lord"  (Prov.  12,  22). 


Chapter  XVI. 
JACOB'S  FLIGHT  AND  HIS  SOJOURN  WITH  LABAN. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

ESAU  was  very  angry,  because  he  had  lost  the  blessing. 
He  resolved  to  kill  Jacob.    Rebecca  knew  the  evil  in- 
tentions of  Esau,  and  saw  that  the  life  of  Jacob  was  in  danger  *. 

She,  therefore, 
called  Jacob 
and  said  to 
him:  "My  son, 
flee  to  Laban, 
my  brother 2, 
and  dwell  with 
him ,  till  the 
wrath  of  thy 
brother  hath 
passed  away."  3 
Jacob  at  once 
set  out4.  As 
he  went  on,  it 
happened  that 

night  overtook  him  in  an  open  plain.  Being  tired  from  the 
journey,  he  lay  down  on  the  ground  and  slept,  having  a  stone 
for  a  pillow  5.  In  his  sleep  he  saw  a  ladder  standing  upon  the 
earth,  the  top  touching  heaven ;  and  by  it  the  angels  of  God 
ascended  and  descended.  The  Lord  was  leaning  upon  the  ladder 
and  said  to  him:  "I  am  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  thy  father, 
and  the  God  of  Isaac 6.    The  land  wherein  thou  sleepest  I  will 


JACOB'S  FLIGHT  AND  HIS  SOJOURN  WITH  LABAN.         93 

give  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed.  And  thy  seed  shall  be  as 
the  dust  of  the  earth;  and  in  thee  and  thy  seed  all  the 
tribes  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed." 

1  Rebecca  knew  this  by  the  threatening  looks  and  hostile  bearing 
of  Esau.  —  2  In  Haran.  You  know  already  that  Abraham  had  lived 
for  a  long  time  in  Haran,  before  he  came  to  Chanaan.  Nachor,  Abraham's 
brother,  had  remained  there.  His  son  was  Bathuel,  and  Rebecca  and 
Laban  were  his  grandchildren.  It  was  to  this  Laban,  her  brother,  that 
Rebecca  now  told  her  son  to  go.  —  3  Esau's  anger  had  passed  into 
hatred,  and  hatred  into  fury  and  thirst  for  his  brother's  blood.  Rebecca 
rightly  hoped  that,  when  Esau  no  longer  saw  his  brother,  this  fury 
would  die  away.  —  4  How  sad  Jacob  must  have  felt,  when  he  bade 
farewell  to  his  beloved  parents,  and  went  out  into  an  unknown  land. 
Sad  at  heart ,  and  with  his  staff  in  his  hand ,  he  started  forth ,  not 
knowing  whether  he  would  ever  reach  the  end  of  his  journey,  or  ever 
return  home  again.  At  that  time  Isaac  was  living  at  Bersabee,  on  the 
southern  borders  of  Chanaan  (see  map),  and  from  thence  to  Haran  was 
more  than  two  hundred  miles.  —  5  Jacob  had  already  travelled  for 
several  days ,  and  when  he  arrived ,  tired  out,  at  Bethel  (four  hours' 
journey  north  of  Jerusalem) ,  he  had  to  sleep  in  the  open  air.  Wild 
beasts  might  have  devoured  him,  or  hostile  men  might  have  seized  him 
and  taken  him  prisoner.  But  Jacob  trusted  in  God:  he  prayed  fervently, 
and  commended  himself  to  the  care  of  the  Almighty.  Then,  God  comforted 
him  by  revealing  Himself  to  him  in  a  dream.  —  6  i.  e.  the  same 
God  who  appeared  to  thy  grandfather  Abraham  and  thy  father  Isaac, 
and  gave  them  the  promises.  Almighty  God,  then,  repeated  to  Jacob 
the  same  promises,  namely  that  the  land  of  Chanaan  should  belong 
to  his  descendants ;  that  his  posterity  should  be  very  numerous ,  and 
that  of  his  family  should  be  born  the  Redeemer. 

And  when  Jacob  awoke  from  sleep,  he  said:  "Indeed,  the 
Lord  is  in  this  place,  and  I  knew  it  not. 7  How  terrible  is 
this  place ! 8  This  is  no  other  but  the  house  of  God 9  and 
the  gate  of  heaven."  10  As  soon  as  morning  dawned,  he  took 
the  stone  upon  which  his  head  had  lain  during  the  vision, 
and  set  it  up  as  a  monument;  he,  also,  poured  oil  upon  it-'11, 
in  honour  of  God,  and  changed  the  name  of  the  place  from 
Luza  to  Bethel,  that  is  to  say,  the  house  of  God.  He,  also, 
made  a  vow,  saying:  "If  God  shall  be  with  me,  and  I  shall 
return  prosperously  to  my  father's  house,  the  Lord  shall  be 
my  God;  and  of  all  things  that  Thou  shalt  give  me  I  will 
offer  tithes  to  Thee." 


94  CHAPTER  XVI. 

This  being  done,  he  continued  his  journey,  and  having 
come  to  a  well  near  which  three  flocks  of  sheep  were  lying, 
he  addressed  the  shepherds  who  were  tending  their  flocks, 
saying:  " Brethren,  whence  are  you?"  They  answered:  "Of 
Haran."  He,  then,  asked  them,  if  they  knew  Laban,  the  son 
of  Nachor.  They  replied:  "We  know  him:  and  behold! 
Rachel,  his  daughter,  cometh  with  his  flock."  When  Rachel 
drew  near,  Jacob  met  her  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  rolled 
the  stone  from  the  mouth  of  the  well  so  that  her  flock 
might  drink.  He  informed  Rachel  that  he  was  the  son  of 
Rebecca,  her  father's  sister.  She  joyfully  ran  home  and 
announced  the  glad  tidings  to  her  father  who,  coming  out, 
embraced  Jacob  and,  then,  conducted  him  to  his  house.  Jacob 
remained  twenty  years  with  Laban,  tending  his  flocks  with 
great  care  and  fidelity 12.  But  Laban  tried,  by  various  unjust 
means,  to  withhold  from  Jacob  a  part  of  the  hire  to  which 
he  was  justly  entitled.  Nevertheless,  God  blessed  Jacob,  and 
he  became  rich  in  flocks,  and  herds,  and  servants. 

7  Is  not  God,  then,  everywhere  ?  Yes ;  but  God  appeared  visibly  and 
spoke  to  Jacob  in  this  place.  —  8  Jacob  cried  out  in  this  way,  because 
the  fear  of  God  had  seized  him.  —  9  Because  Almighty  God  had  shown 
Himself  visibly  there.  —  10  He  calls  the  place  the  gate,  or  door,  of 
heaven ,  because  heaven  had  there  opened  itself  before  him ,  and  he 
had  gazed  upon  God  and  His  holy  angels.  —  n  He  placed  the  stone 
on  which  he  had  rested  his  head,  upright,  to  serve  as  a  memorial  of 
the  wonderful  vision  of  God;  and,  anointing  it  with  oil,  he  consecrated 
it  to  God.  By  virtue  of  God's  promises  to  him,  Jacob  had  become  a 
patriarch,  and  the  patriarchs  were  not  only  the  heads,  but,  also,  the 
priests  of  their  families,  and  offered  sacrifice.  It  was  only  in  the  time 
of  Moses  that  God  instituted  a  special  priesthood  (Old  Test.  XXXIX). 
It  was  by  right  of  his  priestly  dignity  that  Jacob  consecrated  the 
memorial  stone.  —  12  And  God  increased  Laban's  riches,  for  Jacob's 
sake.  He,  being  blessed  of  God,  brought  a  blessing  on  the  master 
whom  he  served. 

II.  Commentary. 

All  good  things  come  from  God.  When  Jacob  made  his 
vow,  he  did  not  say:  "Of  all  things  that  I  shall  gain  I  will 
offer  tithes  to  Thee",  but:  "Of  all  things  that  Thou  shalt 
give  me".  By  these  words  the  holy  servant  of  God  expressed 
his  conviction  that  any  riches  or  possessions  which  he  might 


JACOB'S  FLIGHT  AND  HIS  SOJOURN  WITH  LABAN.         95 

acquire,  would  all  be  a  gift  from  God.  Every  true  believer 
in  God  ought  to  say  thus :  "  From  Thee,  0  God,  comes  every 
gift.   I  thank  Thee  for  what  I  am,  and  what  I  have." 

The  fourth  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  promise  of  the 
Redeemer  was  made  to  Jacob  in  these  words :  "  In  thy  seed 
shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  be  blessed",  i.  e.  by  one  of 
your  descendants  shall  grace  and  blessings  be  brought  to  all 
mankind.    Who  is  this  Descendant  of  Jacob's? 

Our  holy  Guardian  Angels.  What  does  the  heavenly  ladder 
signify?  Do  the  holy  angels  require  a  ladder,  by  which  to 
ascend  into  heaven  and  descend  to  the  earth  ?  No !  for  they 
can  pass  to  and  from  heaven  with  the  swiftness  of  thought ! 
God  made  this  heavenly  ladder  to  appear  to  Jacob  so  that 
he  might  understand  that  he  was  not  forsaken ;  and  that  the 
holy  angels  had  him  in  sight,  took  his  prayers  and  good 
works  to  the  throne  of  God,  and  returned  to  earth  in  order 
to  stand  by  him  and  protect  him.  The  angels  help  us  in 
the  same  way,  being,  as  St.  Paul  tells  us  "ministering  spirits, 
sent  to  minister  to  them  who  shall  receive  the  inheritance  of 
salvation"  (Hebr.  1,  14).  "That  which  Almighty  God  showed 
visibly  to  Jacob  for  his  comfort,  takes  place  continually,  in 
an  invisible  manner,  with  those  whom  God  loves.  Day  and 
night,  even  when  they  are  asleep,  God  looks  down  on  them, 
well  pleased,  and  has  given  His  angels  to  them  to  be  their 
guardians.  These  holy  angels  ascend  and  descend  the  heavenly 
ladder.  They  ascend,  to  carry  the  sighs  and  prayers  of  the 
just,  to  offer  them  as  fragrant  incense  before  the  throne  of 
God ;  they  descend  so  as  to  bring  back  to  them  help,  strength 
and  consolation  from  above"  (Overberg).  Compare  Old  Test. 
LXIX,  6,  where  the  Archangel  Raphael  says  to  Tobias: 
"When  thou  didst  pray  with  tears,  and  didst  bury  the  dead, 
I  offered  thy  prayer  to  the  Lord.''  The  holy  angels  are, 
therefore,  ever  working  for  our  good. 

Every  Catholic  church  is  a  house  of  God  and  gate  of  heaven. 
The  words  of  Jacob:  "How  terrible  is  this  place!  This  is 
no  other  but  the  house  of  God,  and  the  gate  of  heaven!" 
apply  to  every  Catholic  church  still  more  than  they  applied 
to  Bethel.     For   every  Catholic  church  is,  in  very  deed,  a 


96  CHAPTER  XVI. 

house  of  God,  because  every  day,  in  the  holy  sacrifice  of 
the  mass ,  our  Divine  Saviour  descends  on  to  the  altar ,  is 
there  present  under  the  form  of  bread  and  wine,  and  remains 
there  with  us,  day  and  night,  in  the  Most  Blessed  Sacrament. 
Every  Catholic  church  is,  also,  a  gate  of  heaven,  because  in  it 
the  one  true  faith  is  taught,  and  the  Sacraments  of  Baptism, 
Penance  and  the  Holy  Eucharist  are  continually  administered, 
through  which  we  receive  the  remission  of  our  sins,  and 
obtain  grace  and  life  everlasting.  Those  words  of  the  God- 
fearing Jacob  might  well  be  written  over  the  entrance  of 
every  one  of  our  churches.  And,  as  for  us,  we  ought  to 
be  very  devout  and  recollected  in  the  house  of  God. 

Vows.  Jacob  vowed  to  God  that ,  if  he  returned  safe  to 
Chanaan,  he  would  build  an  altar  at  Bethel  and  offer  sacrifices 
to  God;  and  you  will  see  that,  later  on,  Jacob  faithfully 
kept  his  vow.  We  learn  by  this  vow  of  Jacob's  that,  even 
in  quite  ancient  days,  God-fearing  men  used  to  make  vows 
to  God,  and  that  He  was  well  pleased  with  such  holy  vows ; 
for  He  gave  Jacob  everything  for  which  he  prayed,  when 
he  made  that  vow. 

Diligence.  Jacob  served  his  uncle  diligently  and  faithfully. 
All  who  love  and  fear  God,  try  to  fulfil  faithfully  the  duties 
of  their  state  of  life.  Diligence  is  a  virtue,  if  we  are  working, 
each  one  in  his  state ,  for  the  glory  of  God.  —  Sloth  is  a 
sin,  and  one  of  the  capital  sins. 

The  efficacy  of  Penance.  Jacob's  separation  from  his  parents, 
and  his  long  and  hard  servitude  were  a  penance  for  his  sin ; 
and  as  he  practised  these  penances  willingly,  they  were 
pleasing  to  God,  Who  forgave  him  his  sin,  and  bestowed 
many  blessings  on  him.  Jacob  left  home  quite  poor,  and 
returned  a  rich  man.  His  confidence  in  God  was  richly 
rewarded.     Nothing  avails  without  the  blessing  of  God. 

The  ladder  of  Jacob's  vision,  a  type  of  the  Redemption.  This  ladder 
stood  on  the  earth,  and  its  top  reached  to  heaven,  even  to  the  throne 
of  God;  and  thus  it  joined  earth  to  heaven.  By  sin,  this  earth  (or 
the  men  living  on  earth)  had  separated  itself  from  heaven  (from  God). 
Men  had  become  the  enemies  of  God,  and  no  man  could  attain  to 
heaven.  It  is  impossible  to  reach  heaven  by  any  human  strength  or 
effort,  as   the  men  who   built  Babel    tried   to   do:  heaven  must   first 


JACOB  RETURNS  HOME.  97 

bow  itself  towards  the  earth,  so  as  to  draw  men  back  to  God.  Therefore, 
the  Son  of  God  came  down  from  heaven,  and,  by  so  doing,  put  an 
end  to  the  enmity  between  heaven  and  earth.  He  made  satisfaction 
for  us,  and  regained  for  us  the  grace  and  inheritance  of  heaven  which 
we  had  lost.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  true  heavenly  ladder.  By  His  teaching 
He  has  shown  us  the  way  to  heaven  and  has  won  for  us  grace,  in 
the  strength  of  which  we  may  climb  up.  Almighty  God  showed  Jacob, 
by  this  vision,  that  some  day  the  Redeemer  would  restore  the  union 
between  heaven  and  earth,  and  would  open  to  all  men  the  way  to  heaven. 
Oil  is  the  type  of  grace.  Even  as  oil  illuminates,  softens,  strengthens 
and  heals,  so  does  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Ghost  illuminate,  comfort, 
strengthen  and  heal  the  human  soul.  Thus,  under  the  Old  Law,  men 
(priests  and  kings) ,  as  well  as  things ,  which  were  dedicated  to  the 
service  of  God,  were  anointed  with  oil.  Under  the  New  Law,  Jesus 
Christ  has  made  oil  to  be  a  great  means  of  grace  in  the  holy  Sacraments 
of  Confirmation,  P]xtreme  Unction  and  Holy  Order.  The  holy  oils  are 
blessed  on  Maundy-Thursday. 

III.  Application. 

Jacob  had  a  great  reverence  for  the  place  where  God  had 
appeared  to  him.  Our  churches  are  still  holier  places,  and 
yet  you  often  behave  irreverently  in  church;  your  thoughts 
wander,  you  look  about  you,  and  you  even  laugh  and  talk ! 
Examine  your  conscience  on  this  point,  and  make  resolutions 
of  amendment.  "The  Lord  is  in  His  holy  temple:  let  all 
the  earth  keep  silence  before  Him!"  (Hab.  2,  20.)  Each 
time  you  enter  a  church,  say  to  yourself:  "This  is  the 
house  of  God;  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven." 

Are  you  as  diligent  as  Jacob  was?  Do  you  learn  your 
lessons,  and  especially  your  catechism,  diligently?  Are  you 
willing  to  help  your  parents,  or  your  brothers  and  sisters, 
in  their  work?  Resolve  to  overcome  slothfulness ,  and  to 
fulfil  your  duties  faithfully  for  the  love  of  God. 

Chapter  XVII. 

JACOB  RETURNS  HOME,  AND  IS  RECONCILED 

WITH  HIS  BROTHER. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

XT  THEN  Laban  saw  that  Jacob  had  become  very  rich,  he 

T  ▼     began  to  envy  him ,  and  ceased  to  regard  him  with 

favour.    Then  God  said  to  Jacob:  "Return  into  the  land  of 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  5 


98  CHAPTER  XVII. 

thy  fathers 1.  I  will  be  with  thee." 2  Jacob  rose  up  without 
delay,  and  set  out  with  all  he  possessed.  He  had  reached 
the  banks  of  the  river  Jordan,  when  he  began  to  fear  on 
account  of  his  brother.  He  sent  messengers  before  him  to 
say  to  Esau:  "Let  me  find  favour  in  thy  sight!"3  The 
messengers  returned,  saying  to  Jacob:  "Esau  cometh  with 
speed  to  meet  thee,  with  four  hundred  men."  Then  Jacob 
was  sore  afraid4,  and  he  thus  prayed:  "  God  of  my  fathers, 
0  Lord,  Who  saidst  to  me,  'Return  to  thy  land',  I  am  not 
worthy  of  the  least  of  all  Thy  mercies,  and  of  Thy  truth 
which  Thou  hast  fulfilled  to  Thy  servant.  With  my  staif  I 
passed  over  this  Jordan,  and  now  I  return  with  two  com- 
panies.    Deliver  me  from  the  hand  of  my  brother!" 

1  To  the  land  of  Chanaan  where  his  grandfather  Abraham  had  lived, 
and  where  his  father  Isaac  still  lived.  —  2  I  will  protect  thee.  God 
said   this,   because  Jacob  was  still   in   fear  of  the   fury  of  Esau.  — 

3  Act  not  as  an  enemy  to  me,  but  forgive  me  the  wrong  I  did  you.  — 

4  Jacob  had  every  reason  to  be  afraid  that  Esau  was  coming  at  the 
head  of  four  hundred  men  so  as  to  take  him  prisoner,  or  kill  him. 

During  the  night  5  an  angel  appeared  to  Jacob  with  whom 
he  wrestled 6  till  morning.  And  Jacob  said  to  the  angel  ; 
"I  will  not  let  thee  go,  except  thou  bless  me."7  The 
angel  said  to  him:  "Henceforth  thy  name  shall  not  be 
called  Jacob,  but  Israel,"  that  is  to  say,  one  who  has 
wrestled  with  God. 

5  Jacob  had  made  all  those  with  him  go  forward,  while  he  himself 
remained  alone  behind,  so  as  to  begin  this  most  eventful  day  by 
fervent  prayer.  —  6  Wrestling  is  that  kind  of  combat  in  which,  without 
the  giving  of  any  blows,  one  man  tries  to  throw  the  other  to  the 
ground.  The  angel  could  easily  have  overthrown  Jacob,  if  he  wished 
it,  for  "he  touched  the  sinew  of  Jacob's  thigh,  and  forthwith  it  shrivelled 
up,  and  Jacob,  from  that  time  forward,  limped  on  one  foot,  because 
the  sinew  of  his  thigh  was  shrunken".  This  lameness  was  to  be  to 
him  a  constant  reminder  of  his  strife ,  and  a  warning  to  be  humble. 
Jacob  was  aware  that  he  had  to  do  with  a  supernatural  being,  on 
which  account  he  asked  for  his  blessing.  —  7  The  mysterious  being 
who  appeared  to  Jacob,  while  he  was  praying,  and  wrestled  with  him, 
was  the  "Angel  of  the  Covenant",  i.  e.  the  Son  of  God,  Who,  assuming 
a  human  form,  allowed  Himself  to  be  apparently  overcome  by  Jacob, 
as  an  encouragement  to  him  ,  and  a  proof  that  he  need  fear  nothing 
from  Esau.  It  was  to  prove  this  to  him  that  the  angel  said :  "If  thou 


JACOB  RETURNS  HOME.  99 

hast  been   strong   against  God,  how  much  more   shalt  thou   prevail 
against  men"  (Gen.  32,  28). 

The  following  explanation  may  help  you  to  a  deeper  understanding 
of  this  mysterious  event.  A  very  important  and  decisive  day  lay 
before  Jacob,  and  he  might  well  ask:  Would  he  reach  the  Promised 
Land  in  safety ;  and  would  God's  promises ,  so  all  important  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world ,  be  fulfilled  ?  These  questions  did  not  only 
affect  himself,  but  the  whole  of  mankind,  to  the  remotest  future. 
At  that  moment  Almighty  God  condescended  to  His  chosen  servant. 
The  struggle  to  which  he  was  subjected  was  a  trial,  similar  to  that 
mortal  struggle  which  Abraham  had  to  go  through,  when  commanded 
to  sacrifice  his  only  son  —  a  struggle  for  life  and  death,  such  as 
our  Lord,  the  great  Wrestler  with  God,  had  to  endure  in  His  Agony 
in  the  Garden.  Jacob  overcame,  because  his  faith  was  invincible,  and 
he  came  out  of  the  struggle,  strengthened  and  encouraged  to  live  for 
his  own  and  our  salvation. 

He  then  divided  his  children,  his  servants,  and  his  flocks 
into  companies,  and  putting  himself  at  the  head  of  one  of 
them,  he  advanced  to  meet  his  brother,  bowing  seven  times 
to  the  ground  before  him8.  But  Esau,  rejoiced  to  see  his 
brother  Jacob,  ran  to  meet  him  and  embraced  him  with  many 
tears.  Then,  perceiving  the  children,  he  asked:  "Whose  are 
those?"  Jacob  replied:  "They  are  the  children  which  God 
hath  given  me."  And,  making  a  sign  to  them,  they  all 
advanced,  and  bowed  down  before  Esau.  Jacob  then  presented 
Esau  with  several  flocks.  But  Esau  refused  them,  saying: 
"I  have  plenty,  my  brother,  keep  what  is  thine  for  thyself! " 
Jacob  insisted,  and  said :  "I  beseech  thee,  take  the  blessing 
which  God  hath  given  me!"  Then  Esau  yielded  to  his  prayer9, 
and  Jacob,  full  of  gratitude  for  the  protection  of  God,  continued 
his  journey,  and  arrived  in  the  land  of  Chanaan,  where  his 
aged  father  dwelt.  Isaac  was  happy  that  his  son  had  returned, 
and  lived  after  this  about  twenty  years.  Finally,  enfeebled 
by  age,  he  died,  one  hundred  and  eighty  years  old.  Esau 
and  Jacob  buried  him  at  Hebron10. 

8  He  humbled  himself  before  his  brother  in  order  to  awake  kindly  feelings 

in  Esau.  —  9  By  this  acceptance  of  gifts,  the  reconciliation  was  finally 

sealed.  —  10  in  the  cave  where  Abraham  and  Rebecca  were  already  buried. 

II.  Commentary. 

All  things  come  from  God.  When  Jacob  offered  several 
flocks  to  his  brother,  he  uttered  these  beautiful  words  :  "  Take 


100  CHAPTER  XVII. 

of  the  blessing  which  God  hath  given  me."  He  confessed 
thereby  that  it  was  God  who  had  given  to  him,  preserved, 
and  increased  his  flocks. 

Faithfulness  of  God.  This  story  shows  how  God  fulfilled 
His  promise:  "I  will  be  thy  keeper,  and  will  bring  thee 
back  into  this  land." 

Keeping  vows.  Jacob,  too,  was  faithful,  and  kept  his  vow. 
As  soon  as  he  had  parted  from  Esau,  he  went  to  Bethel,  and 
made  there  an  altar.  Picture  to  yourself  how  he  knelt 
down  before  the  altar,  with  all  his  household,  and  thanked 
Almighty  God  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart. 

Necessity  makes  people  pray.  In  his  great  fear  Jacob  had 
recourse  to  God.  We,  too,  ought  to  turn  to  God  for  help, 
comfort  and  strength  in  times  of  trial,  fear  and  need.  "Our 
help  is  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  who  made  heaven  and  earth" 
(Ps.  123,  8).  The  holy  apostle  James  says:  "Is  any  of  you 
sad?    Let  him  pray"  (James  5,  13). 

Prayer  does  not  dispense  us  from  helping  ourselves.  Jacob 
did  not  only  pray  to  God,  but  he  did  all  that  lay  in  his 
own  power  to  propitiate  his  brother.  He  sent  messengers 
to  beg  his  favour;  he  sent  him  presents,  and  humbled  himself, 
bowing  down  seven  times  before  him.  We  should  act  as 
he  did,  in  our  times  of  need  or  sickness.  We  should,  indeed, 
pray,  but  we  should  not  sit  with  our  hands  before  us,  but 
should  use  every  lawful  means  to  help  ourselves. 

Prayer  must  be  persevering.  The  holy  patriarch,  wrestling 
with  God,  is  a  figure  of  persevering  prayer.  As  Jacob  wrestled 
and  cried  out:  "I  will  not  let  thee  go,  except  thou  bless  me"; 
so  ought  we  never  to  give  up  praying,  until  we  have  been 
heard.  Almighty  God  wills  that  we  should,  as  it  were, 
wrestle  with  Him  in  prayer,  do  violence  to  Him,  and  storm 
Him  with  our  petitions.  By  doing  so,  we  become  more  worthy 
to  obtain  what  we  ask.  See  the  parable  of  the  importunate 
friend  (New  Test.  XL VIII). 

The  power  of  prayer.  We  can  see  by  Esau's  conduct  how 
powerful  and  effective  Jacob's  prayer  was.  For  Esau  still 
bore  his  brother  a  grudge,  and  came  with  four  hundred  men 
to  seize  him.    But,  on  account  of  Jacob's  prayer,  God  changed 


JACOB  RETURNS  HOME.  101 

Esau's  hard  heart,  and  he  became  friendly  towards  his  brother, 
and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him,  weeping  with  emotion. 
See  in  what  a  manner  God  can  change  the  hearts  of  men ! 
"  As  the  division  of  waters,  so  the  heart  of  the  king  is  in  the 
hand  of  the  Lord:  whithersoever  He  will  he  shall  turn  it." 

Hatefulness  of  envy.  Not  only  was  Jacob  blessed  by  God, 
but,  for  his  sake,  God  prospered  Laban  as  well.  And  yet, 
Laban  envied  his  son-in-law,  and  was  unfriendly  to  him 
(Jacob  had  married  the  two  daughters  of  Laban,  Lia  and 
Rachel).  We  can  see  by  Laban's  conduct  what  a  foolish, 
hateful,  and  unjust  vice  envy  is. 

It  is  noble  to  forgive.  What  is  the  feeling  of  your  heart, 
as  you  picture  to  yourself  those  two  brothers  weeping,  and 
embracing  one  another  ?  Is  it  not  a  moving  sight  ?  Do  you 
not  like  Esau,  forgiving  and  weeping,  a  thousand  times  better 
than  Esau,  angry  and  vindictive?  Is  it  not,  therefore,  a 
beautiful  and  noble  thing  to  forgive  those  who  have  injured 
us?  "Forgive  us  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  them  that 
trespass  against  us." 

Parents  are  the  representatives  of  God  to  their  children. 
Jacob  said,  speaking  of  his  children :  "  They  are  the  children 
which  God  hath  given  to  me."  God  gives  children  to  their 
parents  to  bring  them  up  for  Him,  to  love  and  serve  Him. 
On  this  account,  parents  are  to  their  children  the  representa- 
tives of  God,  and   children   ought  to  honour  them  as  such. 

Jesus  Christ,  the  Author  of  all  grace.  The  blessing  which  Jacob 
wrung  from  God ,  is  a  figure  of  the  great  gift  of  grace  which  Jesus 
Christ,  the  true  Israel,  wrung  from  heaven  for  us  by  His  sufferings 
and  death. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  ever  refuse  to  make  friends  with  your  brothers 
and  sisters,  or  any  other  children  who  have  injured  you? 
Do  you  not  nurse  a  feeling  of  resentment?  Are  you  not 
ill-natured  to  them?  Do  you  not  wish  them  evil?  Do  you  ask 
pardon  of  others  (as,  for  example,  your  parents),  when  you 
have  done  wrong,  and  grieved  them?  Do  you  begin  a  quarrel 
easily  ?  Forgive  everyone  from  your  heart !  Be  at  peace  with 
everybody,  and   especially  with  your  brothers   and   sisters! 


102  CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Do  not  aggravate  or  strike  anyone!  It  is  far  better  to 
suffer  wrong  than  to  do  wrong.  Say  to-day  an  "Our  Father" 
for  all  those  who  have  done  you  any  injury! 

Chapter  XVIII. 
JOSEPH  SOLD  BY  HIS  BRETHREN. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

JACOB  had  twelve  sons,  and  he  loved  Joseph  above  all 
the  others,  because  he  was  young  and  very  good.  And 
Jacob  made  him  a  coat  of  divers  colours  K  One  day,  when 
the  brothers  were  all  tending  their  flocks,  some  of  them 
committed  a  most  wicked  crime.  Joseph,  being  shocked  and 
angry,  told  his  father,  on  his  return  home,  what  he  had  seen. 
From  that  time  forward,  his  brothers  hated  Joseph,  and  could 
not  speak  to  him  kindly.  Joseph  had  once  a  remarkable 
dream2  which  he  thus  related  to  his  brothers:  "Hear  my 
dream :  I  thought  we  were  binding  sheaves  in  the  field,  and 
my  sheaf  arose,  as  it  were,  and  stood,  and  your  sheaves, 
standing  about,  bowed  down  before  my  sheaf."  His  brothers 
replied:  "Shalt  thou  be  our  king?  Or  shall  we  be  subject 
to  thy  dominion?"  And  they  hated  him  more  than  ever3. 
Joseph  dreamed,  also,  that  the  sun,  the  moon  and  eleven 
stars  worshipped  him.  His  father  rebuked 4  him ,  saying : 
"What  meaneth  this  dream?  Shall  I,  and  thy  mother,  and 
thy  brethren,  worship  thee  upon  the  earth?"  But  Jacob 
thought  within  himself  that  perhaps  God  had  destined  Joseph 
for  great  things5. 

1  A  coat  of  many- coloured  and  rich  materials.  Jacob's  preference 
for  Joseph  was  justifiable,  because  the  boy  was  so  innocent  and  pious, 
but  his  father  ought  to  have  had  the  good  sense  not  to  prefer  him 
to  his  brothers  so  openly.  —  2  This  was  a  supernatural  dream,  not 
an  ordinary  one.  —  3  His  brethren  envied  him,  first,  the  preference 
shown  him  by  their  father,  as  exemplified  by  the  gift  of  the  beautiful 
coat :  secondly,  they  hated  him  for  having  revealed  their  misdeeds  to 
Jacob ;  and,  lastly,  their  hatred  of  him  was  increased  by  the  fact  that 
Joseph's  dreams  seemed  to  foreshow  that  he  would,  one  day,  rule  over 
them.  —  4  Jacob  scolded  him  for  repeating  his  dreams  to  his  brothers, 
and  tried  to  remove  the  idea  from  his  mind  that  these  dreams  meant 
anything.  —  5  He  pondered  over  the  meaning  of  Joseph's  dreams.  He 


JOSEPH  SOLD  BY  HIS  BRETHREN. 


103 


suspected  that  they  had  been  sent  by  God,  and  that  God  destined 
Joseph  for  something  great.  But  he  did  not  reveal  his  thoughts  to 
Joseph,  for  fear  of  making  him  vainglorious. 

One  day,  when  the  sons  of  Jacob  had  gone  with  their 
flocks  to  Sichem6,  Jacob  said  to  Joseph:  "Go  and  see,  if 
all  things  be  well  with  thy  brethren  and  the  cattle!"  He 
obeyed,  and  went  in  search  of  them.  When  they  saw  him 
afar  off,  they  said:  "Behold,  the  dreamer  cometh.  Let  us 
kill  him  and  cast  him  into  some  old  pit,  and  we  will  say 
some  evil  beast  hath  devoured  him ;  and,  then,  it  shall  appear 
what  his  dreams  avail  him."  Reuben,  the  eldest  of  the 
brothers,  hearing  this,  sought  to  deliver  Joseph  out  of  their 
hands,  and  said  to  them:  "Do  not  take  away  his  life,  nor 
shed  his  blood,  but  cast  him  into  this  pit."7  This  he  said, 
because  he  wished  to  restore  the  boy  to  his  father.  When 
Joseph  drew  near  to  his  brothers,  they  forthwith  stripped 
him  of  his  coat  of  divers  colours,  and  cast  him  into  the  pit, 
in  which,  happily,  there  was  no  water8.  Then  they  sat 
down  to  eat  bread,  and  saw  some  foreign  merchants  passing 


104  CHAPTER  XVIII. 

by,  with  camels,  carrying  spices,  balm  and  myrrh  into  Egypt. 
Juda  then  said  to  his  brothers:  "What  will  it  profit  us  to 
kill  our  brother?  It  is  better  that  he  be  sold,  and  that  our 
hands  be  not  defiled,  for  he  is  our  brother."  The  others 
agreed,  and,  the  merchants  having  come  up,  they  drew  Joseph 
out  of  the  pit,  and  sold  him  for  twenty  pieces  of  silver9. 
Joseph  wept  and  besought  them  to  have  pity  upon  him,  but 
in  vain.  The  merchants  took  him  away  with  them  into  Egypt 10. 

6  Jacob  lived  in  Hebron;  and  from  thence  to  Sichem  (or  Sichar)  was 
a  distance  of  fifty-five  miles.  —  7  A  deep  pit  walled  in,  in  which  rain- 
water was  collected,  and  which  was  then  covered  over  with  a  stone. 
At  the  time  that  Reuben  made  his  proposal,  it  was  dry.  —  8  Imagine 
to  yourself  how  Joseph  must  have  wept,  and  prayed  for  mercy: 
;<Ah.  spare  me,  my  brothers!  Am  I  to  die  of  hunger  and  thirst  in 
that  pit !  Think  of  our  old  father ,  how  he  will  mourn ,  if  I  do  not 
return  to  him !  Think  of  the  justice  of  God,  and  how  He  will  punish 
you  as  He  punished  Cain!  What  have  I  done  to  harm  you?"  But 
his  brothers  had  no  compassion,  and  cast  him  without  mercy  into  the 
pit;  and  then  sat  down  to  eat,  just  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  — 
9  This  was  the  usual  price  of  a  young  slave.  His  brethren  sold  him 
as  a  slave,  out  of  covetousness.  As  a  slave,  his  owner  could  do  as  he 
pleased  with  him,  and  he  was  no  more  thought  of  than  a  beast,  or 
any  other  piece  of  merchandise  which  could  be  had  for  money.  (See 
picture  p.  103.)  —  10  This  country  lies  to  the  N.-E.  of  Africa  (see 
map)  and  was  inhabited  by  pagans. 

Reuben,  being  absent  at  the  moment,  knew  nothing  of  this 
wicked  bargain11.  On  going  to  the  pit  into  which  Joseph 
had  been  cast,  and  not  finding  him  there12,  he  rent  his 
garments  in  despair,  saying:  "The  boy  doth  not  appear,  and 
whither  shall  I  go  ? "  13  The  other  brothers  remained  quite 
unconcerned.  Having  killed  a  kid,  they  dipped  Joseph's  coat 
in  it,  and  sent  it  to  their  father,  saying:  "This  we  have 
found;  see,  if  it  be  thy  son's  coat,  or  no."  The  father, 
knowing  the  coat,  said:  "It  is  my  son's  coat;  a  wild  beast 
hath  devoured  Joseph."  Then  he  rent  his  garments,  and 
putting  on  sackcloth,  mourned  his  son  a  long  time.  His 
children  gathered  around  and  strove  to  soothe  his  grief11, 
but  he  would  not  be  comforted15,  saying:  "I  will  go  down 
to  my  son16  into  the  grave17,  mourning."  Jacob  thus  ex- 
pressed his  belief  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul. 


JOSEPH  SOLD  BY  HIS  BRETHREN.  105 

11  He  had  not  been  present,  when  Joseph  was  sold.  —  l2  He  went 
to  look  for  him,  in  order  to  take  him  out  and  save  him.  —  13  What 
shall  I  do  ?  I  dare  not  face  my  father !  —  u  They  pretended  that  they 
also  grieved,  because  Joseph  was  no  more.  —  15  He  mourned  without 
ceasing.  —  16  I  care  no  more  to  live.  I  wish  to  die ,  so  that  I  may 
join  my  beloved  Joseph.  —  n  to  Limbo,  where  the  souls  of  the  just 
were  detained. 

II.  Commentary. 

Innocent  youth.  It  is  impossible  not  to  love  the  innocent 
and  obedient  Joseph,  who  did  not  follow  his  brothers'  evil 
example,  and  who  was  such  a  joy  to  his  father!  Nothing 
is  more  beautiful  than  a  holy,  untarnished  youth.  God's 
blessing  rests  on  him  as  it  did  on  Joseph;  for  it  was  on 
account  of  Joseph's  holy  and  innocent  youth  that  God  chose 
him  for  such  high  things.  He  who  passes  his  youth  in 
innocence,  and  is  a  joy  to  his  parents,  will  look  back  to  his 
young  days  with  pleasure,  even  when  he  is  an  old  man.  On 
the  contrary,  if  a  man  stains  his  beautiful  youth  with  sins  and 
vices,  and  is  a  grief  to  his  parents,  the  memory  of  his  early 
days  will  be  as  a  gnawing  worm  to  him  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

Revealing  the  faults  of  others.  Now,  was  it  nice  or  right 
of  Joseph  to  tell  his  father  about  his  brothers'  sin?  One 
says  'Yes',  and  another  says,  'No';  and  both  are  apparently 
right.  If  Joseph  had  taken  pleasure  in  revealing  his  brothers' 
sin,  and  had  hoped  to  bring  punishment  on  them  by  doing 
so,  he  would  have  acted  very  wrongly.  He  would,  also,  have 
sinned,  had  he  revealed  the  wrong  done,  to  anyone  but  his 
father ;  for  that  would  have  been  a  sin  of  detraction.  Joseph, 
however,  had  no  bad  intention,  when  he  told  his  father  what 
he  knew,  but  acted  out  of  true  love  both  for  God  and  his 
brothers,  in  order  that  his  father  might  warn  them  and 
exercise  supervision  over  them,  and  that  thus  his  brothers 
might  amend  their  ways,  and  not  offend  God  any  more.  The 
revelation  being  necessary,  it  was  Joseph's  duty  to  make  it. 
If  he  had  kept  silence  about  his  brothers'  sin,  he  would  have 
shared  the  guilt  of  it.  Had  he  not  told  his  father,  he  would 
have  been  to  blame,  if  his  brothers'  had  sinned  again  in  the 
same  way.  You  can  learn  this  important  rule  by  Joseph's 
conduct  on  this  occasion:  Never  reveal  the  faults  of  others 


106  CHAPTER  XVIII. 

without  necessity ;  but  you  must  (and  more  especially,  if  you 
are  asked)  reveal  them  to  those  who  have  the  right  to  know, 
such  as  your  parents,  masters  &c. ;  and  this,  in  order  that 
the  wrong  doing  may  be  stopped. 

Dreams.  Joseph's  dreams  are  called  supernatural,  because 
they  were  sent  by  God,  and  had  a  prophetical  meaning.  God 
has  often  shown  men  His  will  by  means  of  dreams.  Take, 
for  example,  the  three  kings  whom  God  commanded  in  a 
dream  not  to  return  to  Herod  (New  Test.  VIII).  Such  dreams 
are  supernatural,  because  they  have  a  hidden  meaning, 
and  God  reveals  His  will  through  them.  It  might  happen, 
even  now,  that  God  should  make  known  something  to  some 
holy  person  by  means  of  a  dream;  but  in  a  general  way, 
dreams  mean  nothing,  and  are  quite  ordinary  and  natural. 
We  possess  the  teaching  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  which  to  know 
the  will  of  God;  and  we  must  pay  no  attention  to  dreams 
and  omens,  or  else  we  shall  sin  by  superstition. 

The  power  of  passions.  The  example  of  Joseph's  brethren 
shows  us,  once  more,  to  how  many  sins  one  passion  can  lead. 
The  beginning  of  these  men's  sin  was  envy.  Hatred,  abusive 
language,  and  thirst  for  blood  grew  from  it.  They  were 
heartless  and  cruel,  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  Joseph's  lamentations, 
and  sold  him  into  the  miseries  of  slavery.  They  lied  to  their 
father  ("  We  have  found  this  coat  &c"),  embittered  his  life,  and 
counterfeited  compassion  for  his  grief.  What  a  multitude  of 
sins;  and  they  all  sprang  from  envy!  Therefore,  envy  is  a 
capital  sin. 

The  evil  consequences  of  one  venial  sin.  This  story  teaches  us  that 
small  causes  (such  as  little  faults  and  venial  sins)  produce  great 
effects,  and  have  very  evil  consequences.  It  was  weak  minded  and 
foolish  of  Jacob  to  parade  his  preference  for  Joseph ;  but  this ,  in 
itself,  was  not  a  great  sin.  However,  it  roused  the  envy  of  his  other 
sons,  and  brought  much  suffering  and  sorrow  both  to  Jacob  and  Joseph. 
So,  let  us  be  on  our  guard  against  even  the  smallest  faults. 

Omission  of  what  we  ought  to  do.  Reuben  and  Juda  were 
the  two  brothers  who  sinned  less  than  the  others.  Juda, 
at  least,  saved  Joseph's  life ;  and,  as  for  Reuben  —  well  it 
might  be  said  that  he  had  no  share  in  his  brothers'  sin, 
because  he  wished  to  save  Joseph,  and  took  no  part  in  selling 


JOSEPH  SOLD  BY  HIS  BRETHREN.  107 

him.  Nevertheless,  he  cannot  be  exonerated  from  blame.  He 
ought  to  have  openly  and  decidedly  opposed  his  brothers' 
blood-thirsty  plan,  and  boldly  protected  Joseph.  Then,  after 
he  learnt  that  Joseph  had  been  sold,  he  ought  to  have  told 
the  truth  to  his  sorrowing  father,  who  would  have  sent  to 
Egypt,  to  seek  and  ransom  Joseph.  Reuben,  therefore,  sinned 
by  omitting  to  do  what  he  ought  to  have  done. 

God  can  make  good  come  out  of  evil.  Joseph's  brethren 
said  to  themselves:  "If  we  sell  Joseph  to  be  a  slave  in 
Egypt,  his  dreams  will  come  to  nothing,  and  he  will  never 
rule  over  us."  But  God's  wisdom  decreed  that  it  was  in 
Egypt  that  Joseph  was  to  be  exalted,  and  his  brethren 
humbled  before  him. 

Immortality  of  the  soul.  Jacob  knew  and  believed  that  he 
would,  one  day,  rejoin  Joseph,  even  though  he  were  dead.  He 
knew  that  everything  does  not  finish  with  death,  but  that 
there  is  an  eternal  life  to  come  after  this  passing  one. 

III.  Application. 

Take  great  pains  to  deserve  the  love  of  your  parents  by 
your  obedience,  filial  love  &c. 

Do  you  wish  for  smart  clothes?  Do  you  wish  to  be 
distinguished  from  other  children  by  your  finery  ?  God  does 
not  look  to  the  clothes,  but  to  the  heart  which  ought  to 
be  adorned  with  virtues. 

Perhaps  you  have  often  published  abroad  the  faults  of 
others  without  any  necessity.  On  the  other  hand,  you  may 
have  concealed  what  you  know,  from  those  set  over  you, 
who  have  a  right  to  know.  By  doing  so  you  have  shared 
in  the  guilt  of  others. 

You  see  in  Jacob's  case  how  very  strong  is  the  love  which 
parents  have  for  their  children.  Should  not  children  be  very 
grateful  for  the  love  and  care  shown  them  by  their  parents, 
and  try  to  be  a  joy  to  them?  Ask  yourself  if  you  have 
ever  vexed,  irritated ,  or  grieved  your  parents,  and  resolve 
that,  for  the  future,  you  will  be  a  joy  to  them  by  your 
obedience  and  diligence.  And  do  not  forget  to  pray  every 
day  for  them. 


108  CHAPTER  XIX. 

Joseph's  brethren  scoffed  at  him  as  a  dreamer.  Do  you 
not  often  tease  your  brothers  and  sisters  and  comrades,  and 
give  them  abusive  names  ?  You  must  not  let  this  ugly  habit 
take  possession  of  you ,  for  you  do  not  like  others  to  give 
you  such  names.  Do  unto  others  as  you  would  they  should 
do  to  you! 

Chapter  XIX. 
JOSEPH  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  PUTIPHAR. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

N   arriving  in   Egypt,   the   merchants   sold   Joseph   to 


o 


Putiphar,  the  captain  of  the  royal  guard1.  And  the 
Lord  was  with  Joseph,  blessing  him  in  all  he  did ;  wherefore 
he  found  favour  with  his  master  who  gave  him  charge  of 
all  his  household2.  And  the  Lord  blessed  the  house  of  the 
Egyptian,  for  Joseph's  sake,  and  multiplied  his  riches.  But, 
after  some  time,  Joseph  was  severely  tried  in  his  new  home. 
The  wife  of  Putiphar  urged  him  to  commit  a  most  grievous 
sin.  But  Joseph  would  not  consent,  and  said :  "  Behold,  my 
master  hath  delivered  all  things  to  me.  How,  then,  can  I 
do  this  wicked  thing,  and  sin  against  my  God?"  But  even 
this  decided  refusal  did  not  prevent  the  wicked  woman  from 
renewing  her  attacks  on  Joseph's  virtue,  and  every  day  she 
importuned  him  anew  3.    But  Joseph  would  not  listen  to  her. 

Now,  it  so  happened  that  Joseph  was,  one  day,  alone  in 
the  house,  attending  to  some  business,  when  the  woman  took 
hold  of  the  skirt  of  his  cloak  4,  and  renewed  her  shameful 
proposal.  But  Joseph  fled,  leaving  his  cloak  in  her  hands. 
The  woman,  seeing  herself  thus  slighted,  began  to  hate  Joseph, 
and  accused  him  to  her  husband  of  attempting  the  very  crime 
which  she  had  tried  in  vain  to  induce  him  to  commit. 

Putiphar,  believing  his  wife  too  easily  5,  caused  the  innocent 
young  man  to  be  cast  into  prison6.  The  chaste  Joseph  is, 
in  his  firm  resistance  to  temptation,  a  model  for  all  young- 
people.  This  history  teaches  us,  also,  that  in  this  world 
the  good  have  sometimes  to  suffer  unjustly,  but  that,  if  they 
remain  patient  and  pray  for  their  enemies,  as  Joseph  did, 
then  their  suffering  will  soon  be  turned  into  joy. 


JOSEPH  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  PUTIPHAR.  109 

1  The  soldiers  whose  duty  it  was  to  defend  the  king's  life,  and  see 
to  his  safety.  —  2  He  made  Joseph  the  overseer  or  steward  of  his 
house.  —  3  Day  after  day,  she  tried  to  persuade  him  to  sin ;  and  this 
was  wearisome  and  hateful  to  him.  —  4  in  order  to  force  him  to  sin.  — 
5  without  examining  the  case,  or  hearing  Joseph's  version  of  the 
story.  —  c  in  the  state-prison.  There  Joseph ,  who  was  then  twenty 
six  years  old,  was  loaded  with  fetters  (Ps.  104,  18). 

II.  Commentary. 

Piety.  The  fate  of  Joseph  was  a  hard  one,  being  thus  torn 
away  from  his  home  and  father,  and  taken  to  the  market,  to 
be  sold  as  a  slave.  But  Joseph  did  not  despond.  No  doubt, 
the  wrong  he  had  suffered  made  his  heart  ache;  but  he 
trusted  in  God,  prayed  diligently,  and  submitted  himself  to 
God's  will.  He  was  a  true  worshipper  of  God.  The  end 
proved  that  his  trust  in  Him  was  justified.  By  Almighty 
God's  providence,  Joseph  was  bought  by  Putiphar,  who  began 
to  love  him  on  account  of  his  virtues,  and  placed  him,  the 
least  among  his  slaves,  in  a  position  of  trust  over  his  whole 
household.  Therefore,  St.  Paul  says:  "Godliness  is  profitable 
to  all  things,  having  the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is, 
and  of  that  which  is  to  come"  (1  Tim.  4,  8). 

Performance  of  the  duty  of  our  state  in  life.  Because  Joseph 
feared  God,  he  served  his  master  so  faithfully  and  zealously 
that  Putiphar  loved  and  praised  him,  and  made  him  his 
steward  over  everything.  He  who  wishes  to  serve  God 
must,  before  all  things,  fulfil  the  duties  of  his  state  of  life, 
faithfully  and  conscientiously. 

Holy  fear  of  God.  A  deep  fear  of  God,  and  a  hatred  of 
sin  were  the  fruits  of  Joseph's  piety.  When  tempted  to  sin, 
he  cried  out,  full  of  horror:  "How  can  I  do  this  wicked 
thing,  and  sin  against  my  God!"  He  said  to  himself:  "Mortal 
sin  is  the  greatest  of  all  evils.  How  could  I  offend  the  Lord  my 
God  Who  has  so  graciously  created,  preserved  and  protected 
me ! "  The  fear  of  God  is  one  of  the  seven  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  blessing  attending  piety.  In  the  same  way  that  God 
blessed  Laban,  for  Jacob's  sake,  so  did  He  bless  Putiphar, 
for  the  sake  of  the  God-fearing  Joseph.  Holy  servants  and 
holy  children  bring  a  blessing  on  a  house,  namely,  many 
graces  and  often  temporal  prosperity. 


110  CHAPTER  XIX. 

Scandal.  Putiphar's  wife  tried  to  induce  Joseph  to  sin 
against  the  Sixth  Commandment.  Had  he  listened  to  this 
bad  woman,  he  would  have  lost  the  grace  and  friendship 
of  God.  She  wished  to  do  him  a  spiritual  injury,  and  thereby 
sinned  against  the  Fifth  Commandment. 

Calumny.  Putiphar's  wife  calumniated  Joseph,  or  accused 
him  falsely  to  her  husband,  so  as  to  revenge  herself  on  him 
for  having  resisted  her  evil  suggestions.  By  this,  she  was 
the  guilty  cause  of  the  innocent  Joseph  being  deprived  of 
his  liberty,  and  cast  into  prison. 

Bash  judgment.  Putiphar  sinned  by  condemning  Joseph, 
without  careful  investigation  of  the  accusation  brought  against 
him.     Such  a  sin  is  called  rash  judgment. 

Means  of  preserving  chastity.  The  sin  which  Putiphar's  wicked  wife 
wished  to  induce  Joseph  to  commit  was  one  against  chastity.  This 
temptation  was  a  severe  one  to  Joseph,  for,  do  what  he  could,  she 
would  not  leave  him  alone.  She  argued  that  the  sin  would  not  he  a 
very  great  one;  that  no  one  need  know  about  it,  and  so  forth.  She, 
furthermore,  flattered  him  and  promised  him  riches,  if  he  would  consent, 
and  threatened  to  do  him  great  injury,  if  he  refused.  Nevertheless, 
Joseph  remained  firm,  and  would  not  yield  to  the  temptation.  He  loved 
the  virtue  of  purity.  He  knew  that  want  of  chastity  is  the  most  shameful 
of  all  sins,  and  he  carefully  guarded  himself  against  it.  To  do  so,  he 
used  the  following  means:  1.  He  kept  as  much  as  he  could  out  of  this 
woman's  way.  He  would  not  have  been  in  her  house  that  day,  had  not 
business  called  him  there ;  and  when  she  tried  to  detain  him,  he  fled. 
2.  Before  going  into  the  house,  he  armed  himself  against  the  temptation 
by  praying  to  God  for  strength.  3.  Each  time  this  wicked  woman  tempted 
him,  he  thought  of  God  Who  sees  everything,  and  Who  has  a  special 
hatred  of  sins  against  chastity.  If  you  wish  to  preserve  your  innocence, 
dear  children,  you  must  do  as  Joseph  did.  You  must  avoid  the  occasions  of 
sin,  bad  companions,  and  all  unclean  thoughts.  You  must  appeal  for  help  to 
God  and  His  holy  Mother;  and  you  must  think  of  God's  presence,  of  death, 
and  hell.  You  have  far  more  powerful  means  of  preserving  your  innocence 
than  Joseph  had  in  Egypt,  for  you  have  the  holy  Sacraments  of  Penance 
and  of  the  Altar.  If  you  receive  these  often  and  worthily,  you  will  be 
able  to  resist  all  temptations.  Joseph  remained  chaste,  though  he  did  not 
possess  these  mighty  means  of  grace.  Your  sin  will  be  far  greater 
than  his  would  have  been,  if  you  lose  your  innocence  in  spite  of  them. 

III.   Application. 

Joseph's  temptation  was  a  severe  one ,  and  yet  he  stood 
firm.   Have  you  not  let  yourself  be  led  into  sin  by  far  lesser 


JOSEPH  IN  PRISON.  Ill 

temptations?  Joseph  paid  no  heed  to  the  threats  of  this 
wicked  woman,  but  feared  God  more  than  her.  He  preferred 
to  suffer  anything,  even  death,  rather  than  offend  God. 
Repent  of  your  sins,  and  say  often  to  God:  "I  will  die 
rather  than  offend  Thee." 

Do  you  love  purity  as  dearly  as  holy  Joseph  loved  it? 
Would  you  preserve  your  innocence  at  any  cost?  Your 
innocence  should  be  dearer  to  you  than  anything  in  the 
world,  for  it  is  the  most  priceless  treasure  you  possess. 
Avoid,  therefore,  all  occasions  of  sin,  bad  companions,  and 
impure  things.  "  My  son,  if  sinners  shall  entice  thee,  consent 
not  to  them!  If  they  shall  say,  'Come  with  us,'  walk  not 
thou  with  them!"  (Prov.  1,  10  &c).  Say  every  day  a 
Hail  Mary  for  the  preservation  of  your  innocence. 

Chapter  XX. 
JOSEPH  IN  PRISON. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

JOSEPH  was  now  pining  in  prison,  among  criminals.  But 
even  here  God  did  not  abandon  him,  and  caused  him  to 
find  favour  in  the  sight  of  the  keeper  of  the  prison,  who 
gave  him  charge  of  all  the  prisoners.  Amongst  these  were 
the  chief  butler1  and  the  chief  baker2  of  Pharao,  accused 
of  treason  against  their  king.  After  some  time,  they  both, 
on  the  same  night,  had  a  dream  which  perplexed  them  and 
made  them  sad. 

Joseph,  perceiving  their  sadness,  asked  them3,  saying: 
"Why  is  your  countenance  sadder  to-day  than  usual?"  They 
answered:  "We  have  dreamed  a  dream,  and  there  is  nobody 
to  interpret  it  to  us."  Joseph  said  to  them:  "Doth  not  inter- 
pretation belong  to  God?4   Tell  me  what  you  have  dreamed." 

The  chief  butler  first  told  his  dream:  "I  saw  before  me 
a  vine  on  which  were  three  branches  which  by  little  and 
little  sent  out  buds;  and  afterwards  the  blossoms  brought 
forth  ripe  grapes.  And  the  cup  of  Pharao  was  in  my  hand, 
and  I  took  the  grapes,  and  pressed  them  into  the  cup  which 
I  held,  and  I  gave  the  cup  to  Pharao." 


112  CHAPTER  XX. 

Joseph  answered:  "This  is  the  interpretation  of  the  dream: 
The  three  branches  are  yet  three  days,  after  which  Pharao 
will  restore  thee  to  thy  former  place,  and  thou  shalt  present 
him  the  cup  as  before.  Only  remember  me,  when  it  shall 
be  well  with  thee,  and  do  me  this  kindness,  to  put  Pharao 
in  mind  to  take  me  out  of  this  prison!" 

1  This  was  the  name  given  to  that  officer  in  the  king's  court 
whose  duty  it  was  to  examine  and  pour  out  the  wine  which  the  king 
drank.  —  2  The  duty  of  the  chief  baker  was  to  bake  the  bread  for 
the  king ,  and ,  above  all ,  to  examine  it ,  before  the  king  ate  it.  — 
3  full  of  sympathy  for  their  trouble.  —  4  By  this  Joseph  meant:  "Only 
those  dreams  which  are  sent  by  God  have  any  special  meaning,  and 
he  alone  who  is  inspired  by  God  to  do  so,  can  interpret  such  dreams." 

Then  the  chief  baker,  seeing  that  Joseph  had  so  wisely 
interpreted  the  dream,  said:  "I,  also,  dreamed  a  dream  that 
I  had  three  baskets  of  meal  upon  my  head;  and  that  in 
one  basket  which  was  uppermost  I  carried  all  kinds  of 
pastry,  and  that  the  birds  ate  out  of  it." 

Joseph  said  to  him:  "This  is  the  interpretation  of  the 
dream:  The  three  baskets  are  yet  three  days,  after  which 
Pharao  will  take  thy  head  from  thee  and  hang  thee  on  a 
cross,  and  the  birds  shall  tear  thy  flesh."5  The  third  day 
after  this  was  the  birthday  of  Pharao. 

At  the  banquet 6  he  remembered  the  chief  butler  and  chief 
baker.  The  former  he  restored  to  his  place;  the  latter  he 
caused  to  be  hanged  on  a  gibbet 7.  The  chief  butler  rejoiced 
in  his  good  fortune,  but  he  thought  no  more  of  Joseph. 

5  In  olden  times  a  criminal  was  first  beheaded,  and  then  his  body 
was  hung  on  a  gibbet,  as  a  warning  to  others.  —  6  at  the  feast, 
given  by  Pharao  on  the  occasion.  —  7  Apparently,  Jthe  chief  butler's 
offence  was  not  so  great  as  that  of  the  chief  baker,  and,  therefore, 
the  king  pardoned  him  on  his  birthday. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  object  of  suffering.  Joseph  really  had  a  great  deal 
to  endure.  At  home,  after  being  derided  by  his  brethren, 
he  was  sold  to  be  a  slave  in  a  strange  land.  Then,  though 
innocent,  he  was  thrown  into  prison  and  bound  with  chains, 
as  if  he  were  the  worst  of  criminals.  He  had,  apparently, 
lost  everything  now,  home,  freedom  and  honour,  but  he  still 


JOSEPH  IN  PRISON.  113 

kept  what  was  best  of  all,  his  innocence  and  his  confidence 
in  God.  Every  kind  of  external  misfortune  had  befallen 
him,  but  he  still  had  a  good  conscience,  and  the  peace  of 
God  in  his  heart,  so  that,  in  spite  of  everything,  he  was 
still  inwardly  happy.  But  we  ask:  "Why  did  Almighty  God 
allow  this  holy,  innocent  Joseph  to  be  burdened  by  so  many 
troubles?"  The  answer  is:  "He  allowed  it  in  order  that 
Joseph  might  be  confirmed  in  virtue,  and  prepared  by  these 
humiliations  for  his  future  exalted  position.  All  the  sufferings 
which  God  allows  to  befall  the  just,  are  for  this  same  end ; 
only  their  exaltation  does  not  always  take  place  in  this 
world,  but  generally  in  the  next." 

God  does  not  forsake  his  servants.  God  was  with  Joseph, 
that  is,  He  comforted  and  upheld  him  in  his  sufferings,  and 
enabled  the  jailer  to  recognise  his  innocence  and  usefulness, 
and  thus  to  lighten  his  captivity.  We  learn  by  this  story 
of  Joseph  that  Almighty  God  does  not  forsake  those  who 
are  His,  and  that  we  ought  always  to  trust  in  Him,  have 
recourse  to  Him,  and  submit  ourselves  to  His  will.  You 
can  see  now  why  the  Church  (by  the  mouth  of  her  priests) 
says  "Dominus  vobiscum"  to  us  so  often;  for  these  words  ex- 
press her  wish  that  God  may  always  be  with  us  by  His  grace. 
The  response:  "And  with  thy  spirit",  equally  expresses  the 
wish  that  God  may,  by  His  grace,  dwell  in  the  soul  of  the  priest. 

Compassion.  When  he  was  set  over  the  other  prisoners, 
Joseph  was  not  rough  and  harsh  with  them,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  sympathised  with  them,  and  comforted  those  who 
were  in  trouble.  "Blessed  are  the  merciful,  for  they  shall 
obtain  mercy." 

Humility.  Joseph  at  once  gave  it  to  be  understood  that  the 
interpretation  of  the  dreams  must  come  from  God,  and  that 
of  himself  he  could  give  none.  He  thus  gave  the  glory  to  God. 

Ingratitude.  The  chief  butler  behaved  most  ungratefully 
towards  Joseph  by  forgetting  him  in  the  time  of  his  own 
prosperity.  Was  that  not  horrible  ?  But  to  whom  is  it  that 
we  owe  most  gratitude?  Is  it  not  to  God?  Thanksgiving 
is  a  necessary  part  of  the  worship  of  God.  We  should  not 
thank  Him  by  words  only,  but  also  by  deed,  and  by  doing 


114  CHAPTER  XXL 

His  holy  will.    He  who  offends  God  grievously  proves  that 
he  is  thoroughly  ungrateful. 

III.  Application. 

You  have  often  been  ungrateful  to  God,  and  also  to  your 
parents  and  superiors,  by  vexing  and  grieving  them.  Think 
of  all  the  benefits  both  to  soul  and  body  which  you  have 
received  from  God!  Say  your  morning  and  night  prayers, 
and  your  grace  at  meal-times  devoutly. 

The  chief  butler  forgot  Joseph  who,  all  the  time,  was 
lingering  in  prison.  Christians  are  very  apt  to  forget  their 
departed  friends  and  benefactors  who  are  suffering  in  the 
prison  of  purgatory.  Has  it  been  so  with  you?  Pray  every 
day  for  the  holy  souls,  and  especially  for  your  relations 
and  benefactors. 

Chapter  XXL 

JOSEPH'S  EXALTATION. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  two  years,  Pharao  had  a  dream.  He  thought  he 
stood  by  the  river  Nile1  out  of  which  came  seven 
cows,  very  beautiful  and  fat ;  and  they  fed  in  marshy  places. 
After  them  came,  also,  seven  others  that  were  lean  and  ill- 
favoured,  and  they  devoured  the  fat  ones.  Then  the  king  awoke. 
He  slept  again  and  dreamed  another  dream  in  which  he 
saw  seven  ears  of  corn  growing  upon  one  stalk;  and  the 
ears  were  full  and  fair.  After  these  came  up  seven  other 
ears,  thin  and  blighted,  devouring  all  the  beauty  of  the 
former.  Pharao  awoke  the  second  time,  and,  morning  having 
come ,  he  sent  for  all  the  soothsayers 2  and  wise  men  of 
Egypt ,  and  related  to  them  his  dreams.  But  no  one  was 
found  who  could  interpret  them. 

1  This  is  the  only  river  in  Egypt.  In  map  I  the  lower  part  of  the 
river  is  shown ;  and  you  can  see  that  it  is  divided  into  many  branches 
and  channels.  It  is  to  this  river  that  Egypt  owes  its  fertility.  In  the 
summer  (from  August  to  October)  the  Nile  overflows  its  banks,  and 
inundates  the  whole  plain  with  its  slimy  waters.  This  water  provides 
the  sandy  plain  with  necessary  moisture ,  and  the  slime ,  left  behind 
by  the  inundation,  acts  as  a  powerful  manure.    The  crops  are  sown 


JOSEPH'S  EXALTATION. 


115 


after  the  annual  overflow,  and  the  ground  produces  corn  in  abundance, 
each  stalk  bearing  from  three  to  seven  ears.  When  the  Nile  does  not 
overflow,  nothing  grows,  and  there  is  a  famine.  —  2  These  men  gave 
themselves  out  as  capable  of  interpreting  dreams  and  foretelling  the 
future. 

Then  the  chief  butler  remembered  Joseph,  and  was  sorry 
that  he  had  so  long  forgotten  him  3.  He  told  the  king  that 
there  was  in  the  prison  a  Hebrew4  youth  who  had  inter- 
preted dreams  for  him  and  the  chief  baker,  and  that  all 
had  come  to  pass  just  as  he  said. 

The  king's  curiosity  being  excited,  he  ordered  the  youth 
to  be  brought  before  him.  Then  he  addressed  him,  saying: 
"I  have  dreamed  dreams,  and  there  is  no  one  that  can 
expound  them.  Now,  I  have  heard  that  thou  art  very  wise 
at  interpreting  them."  Joseph  answered:  "God  alone  can 
give  Pharao  a  prosperous  answer."  Pharao  then  related 
what  he  had  seen. 

Having  heard  the  dreams,  Joseph  said:  "God  hath  shown 
to  Pharao  what  He  is  about  to  do5.  The  seven  beautiful 
kine ,  and  the  seven  full  ears ,    are   seven   years  of  plenty ; 


116  CHAPTER  XXI. 

the  seven  lean  and  thin  kine,  and  the  seven  blasted  ears, 
are  seven  years  of  famine.  There  shall  come  seven  years 
of  great  plenty  in  the  whole  land  of  Egypt,  after  which 
shall  follow  seven  other  years  of  so  great  a  scarcity  that 
all  the  abundance  before  shall  be  forgotten ;  for  the  famine 
shall  consume  all  the  land,  and  the  greatness  of  the  scarcity 
shall  destroy  the  greatness  of  the  plenty.  Now,  therefore, 
let  the  king  provide  a  wise  and  industrious  man 6  who  shall 
gather  into  barns  the  fifth  part  of  the  fruit  of  the  seven 
years  of  plenty,  so  that  it  be  ready  against  the  seven 
years  of  famine." 

3  The  duty  of  gratitude  ought  to  have  made  him  think  of  Joseph 
as  soon  as  ever  he  had  received  his  pardon.  —  4  He  called  Joseph 
a  Hebrew,  because  the  descendants  of  Abraham  were  known  by  that 
name.  —  5  i.  e.  these  dreams  have  been  sent  to  you  by  God  in  order 
to  show  you  what  is,  by  His  divine  providence,  to  happen  in  the 
future.  —  6  a  prudent,  active  man  who  would  be  capable  of  carrying 
out  such  a  great  work. 

This  counsel  was  pleasing  to  Pharao,  and  he  said  to  his 
courtiers:  "Can  we  find  such  another  man  that  is  full  of 
the  Spirit  of  God?"7  Then  the  king  said  to  Joseph:  "Can 
I  find  one  wiser  and  like  unto  thee?  Thou  shalt  be  over  my 
house,  and  at  the  commandment  of  thy  mouth  all  the  people 
shall  obey.    Only  in  the  kingly  throne  will  I  be  above  thee." 8 

Then  the  king,  having  made  Joseph  ruler  over  all  the 
land  of  Egypt,  took  his  ring 9  from  his  own  hand,  and  placed 
it  on  that  of  Joseph.  He  put  on  him,  also,  a  robe  of  silk, 
and  a  chain  of  gold  around  his  neck,  and  caused  him  to  be 
seated  in  a  triumphal  chariot  next  to  his  own,  and  to  be 
proclaimed  governor  of  Egypt. 10  He  also  changed  his  name, 
and  called  him  Saviour11  of  the  world.  Joseph  was  thirty 
years  old 12,  when  he  was  made  ruler  of  Egypt. 

The  life  of  Joseph  teaches  us  clearly  that  the  ways  of 
God  are  wonderful.  His  brothers  hated  him,  and  this  hatred 
of  theirs  brought  him  to  Egypt ;  and  this  was  the  first  step 
to  his  greatness.  The  wife  of  Putiphar  hated  him,  and  her 
hatred  brought  him  into  prison ;  and  this  was  the  next  step 
to  his  greatness,  for  in   prison  he  became  acquainted  with 


JOSEPH'S  EXALTATION.  117 

the  chief  butler  of  the  king.  But,  if  Joseph  had  murmured 
against  providence,  or  had  cursed  his  enemies,  God  would 
not  have  placed  him  on  the  throne  of  Egypt. 

7  i.  e.  I  cannot  find  a  more  capable  man  than  this  one.  He  knew 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  with  Joseph.  —  8  Kings  sit  on  a  throne, 
and  a  throne,  therefore,  is  the  type  of  kingly  power.  The  king  meant : 

I  will  remain  king,  but  next  to  me  yours  shall  be  the  highest  authority 
in  Egypt,  and  you  shall  govern  the  country  in  my  name.  Joseph  was, 
in  fact,  made  the  Prime  Minister  of  the  king.  —  9  Pharao  gave 
Joseph  his  signet-ring,  as  a  sign  that  Joseph  was  empowered  to  give 
orders  in  the  king's  name,  and  to  seal  them  with  the  king's  seal.  — 
10  Pharao  commanded  that  all  men  should  bow  the  knee  to  Joseph, 
as    a   test   whether   they   were    ready   to   obey    and   honour   him.   — 

II  because  he  had  saved  Egypt  and  the  neighbouring  countries  from 
the  horrors  of  famine.  — -  12  Joseph  was  now  thirty  years  old.  He 
was  sixteen,  when  his  brothers  sold  him:  therefore,  he  had  been  a  slave 
for  fourteen  years,  three  or  four  of  which  had  been  passed  in  prison. 

II.  Commentary. 

Humility.  When  Pharao  said  to  Joseph:  "I  have  heard 
that  thou  art  very  wise  at  interpreting  dreams,"  Joseph 
replied-  that  it  was  God  alone  Who  could  give  the  inter- 
pretation. This  was  as  much  as  to  say:  "Of  myself  I  can 
do  nothing;  I  can  only  interpret  dreams  by  the  inspiration 
of  God."  Thus  he  was  humble,  and  gave  the  glory  to  God. 
"Not  to  us,  0  Lord,  not  to  us,  but  to  Thy  name  give 
glory"  (Ps.  113,  9). 

The  reward  of  virtue.  Joseph  had  suffered  for  a  long  time, 
but  his  troubles  came  to  an  end  at  last,  his  patience  and 
trust  in  God  were  richly  rewarded,  and  he  was  fully  com- 
pensated for  all  his  past  sufferings.  Once,  his  brothers  tore 
his  clothes  from  his  back:  now,  he  was  clad  in  a  robe  of 
silk.  Once,  he  was  degraded  to  a  state  of  slavery:  now,  he 
was  raised  to  the  highest  dignity.  He  was  once  loaded  with 
chains  in  prison:  now,  he  was  distinguished  by  a  chain  of 
gold  round  his  neck.  He  had  been  dragged  off  to  prison  like 
the  worst  of  criminals :  now,  he  was  led  through  the  streets 
in  the  king's  chariot,  and  all  men  bowed  before  him.  "Behold, 
thus  shall  the  man  be  blessed  that  feareth  the  Lord" 
(Ps.  127,  4). 


118  CHAPTER  XXL 

The  Wisdom  of  Divine  Providence  is  clearly  to  be  seen  in 
this  story  of  Joseph's  abasement  and  exaltation.  What  were 
Almighty  God's  intentions  about  Joseph?  He  had  signified 
by  the  dreams  which  Joseph  had  dreamt  as  a  boy,  that  he 
would  one  day  be  a  great  lord,  and  that  his  brethren  would 
bow  down  before  him.  Man  did  every  possible  thing  to 
hinder  this  exaltation.  His  brothers  sold  him  as  a  slave 
on  account  of  those  very  dreams.  The  merchants  took  him 
far  away ;  Putiphar  had  him  cast  into  prison  like  a  criminal ; 
the  chief  butler,  who  was  deeply  indebted  to  him,  forgot 
all  about  him.  Humanly  speaking,  there  was  no  prospect 
of  either  his  freedom  or  his  honour  being  restored  to  him; 
much  less  of  his  becoming  a  great  lord.  But  God  made 
everything  which  was  apparently  a  misfortune  and  humi- 
liation conduce  to  his  future  exaltation.  By  being  sold,  he 
was  taken  to  the  very  land  where  he  was  to  be  exalted. 
By  being  put  into  prison,  he  became  known  to  the  chief 
butler,  who,  later  on,  introduced  him  to  the  king.  Even  the 
chief  butler's  ingratitude,  which  must  have  deeply  wounded 
Joseph,  led,  under  God's  providence,  towards  the  desired 
end ;  for  if  the  chief  butler  had  remembered  him  sooner,  and 
got  him  taken  out  of  prison  at  once,  Joseph  would  not  have 
remained  in  Egypt,  but  would  have  returned  to  Chanaan,  to 
his  sorrowful  old  father.  Thus,  all  these  misfortunes  led, 
under  divine  providence,  to  the  future  exaltation  of  Joseph. 
Moreover,  by  his  troubles  he  was  confirmed  in  prayer,  con- 
fidence, humility,  and  love  of  his  neighbour,  and  was  thus 
prepared  for  the  important  post  for  which  God  destined 
him.  When  we  think  of  all  this,  we  can  only  exclaim  with 
St.  Paul:  "How  incomprehensible  are  God's  judgments,  and 
how  unsearchable  His  ways!"  (Rom.  11,  33.) 

Joseph,  the  sixth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Joseph,  the  beloved, 
obedient,  and  innocent  son  of  his  father,  was  envied  by  his 
brethren,  ill-treated  by  them,  sold,  and  given  over  to  the 
gentiles:  so  also  Jesus.  Joseph  was  repeatedly  tempted, 
and  yet  did  not  sin :  so  also  Jesus.  Joseph  was  falsely 
accused  and  unjustly  condemned.  He  suffered  patiently  and 
resignedly   between   two   malefactors,  to   one   of  whom   he 


JOSEPH'S  EXALTATION.  119 

foretold  pardon:  Jesus,  crucified  between  two  thieves,  said 
to  the  one  on  His  right  Hand:  "This  day  shalt  thou  be  with 
Me  in  Paradise."  Joseph  was  set  free  from  prison,  and  made 
ruler  over  the  whole  land:  Jesus  was  raised  from  the  prison 
of  the  tomb,  and  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  His  Father. 
Joseph  was  called  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  because  he  saved 
the  Egyptians  from  famine:  Jesus  is  indeed  the  Saviour  of 
the  world,  because  He  has  redeemed  the  whole  world  from 
sin  and  hell.  The  Egyptians  bowed  the  knee  before  Joseph 
to  testify  the  homage  they  owed  him.  "In  the  name  of 
Jesus  every  knee  shall  bow,  of  those  that  are  in  heaven, 
on  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  every  tongue  shall  confess 
that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  glory  of  God  the  Father" 
(Phil.  2,  10.  11).     (Repeat  the  first  five  types.) 

Joseph's  exaltation  is  a  type  of  the  glory  of  the  just  in  heaven.  God 
does  not  always  reward  the  just  in  this  world ,  for  we  were  created, 
not  for  a  temporal,  but  for  an  eternal  happiness.  But  we  may  be  sure 
that  He  will  reward  them  in  the  next  world  by  an  "eternal  weight 
of  glory"  (2  Cor.  4,  17).  The  just  have  to  pass  through  many  trials 
on  earth.  They  may,  like  Joseph,  be  persecuted  and  ridiculed  for 
their  faith ,  piety ,  or  conscientiousness ,  but  some  day  they  will  be 
exalted,  and  rewarded  with  everlasting  happiness.  The  more  good  a 
man  has  done  on  earth,  and  the  more  he  has  suffered  for  the  love  of 
God,  the  greater  will  be  his  reward  in  heaven.  "Blessed  are  they  that 
suffer  persecution  for  justice's  sake,  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
Blessed  are  ye,  when  they  shall  revile  you  and  persecute  you,  and  speak 
all  that  is  evil  against  you  untruly,  for  My  sake.  Be  glad  and  rejoice, 
for  your  reward  is  very  great  in  heaven"  (Mat.  5,  10 — 12).  "Blessed 
is  the  man  that  endureth  temptation,  for,  when  he  hath  been  proved, 
he  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life"  (James  1,  12).  "The  sufferings  of 
this  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  to  come" 
(Rom.  8,  18). 

III.  Application. 

Men  often  take  that  to  be  a  misfortune  which  is  really 
the  contrary.  Never  complain  of  the  ways  of  God,  but 
always ,  and  in  all  things ,  submit  to  His  holy  will.  Have 
you  ever  complained  ?  Are  you  not  cowardly  and  desponding 
under  suffering?  Say  to  yourself:  "God  knows  what  is  best 
for  me.     Not  my  will,  but  Thine  be  done!" 


120  CHAPTER  XXII. 

Chapter  XXII. 

THE  SONS  OF  JACOB  GO  INTO  EGYPT. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

THE  seven  years  of  plenty  came,  as  Joseph  had  foretold. 
There  was  great  abundance  everywhere.  And  Joseph 
gathered  the  surplus  of  the  grain1  every  year,  and  stored 
it  up  in  the  granaries.  But,  after  the  years  of  plenty,  the 
seven  years  of  scarcity  set  in,  and  the  famine  prevailed  in 
all  the  countries.  The  people  of  Egypt  cried  to  the  king 
for  bread,  but  he  answered  them:  "Go  to  Joseph,  and  do 
all  that  he  shall  say  to  you." 

Joseph  opened  all  the  granaries  and  sold  to  the  Egyptians. 
Likewise  the  people  from  other  countries  came  to  Egypt  to 
buy  corn.  At  last,  the  famine  reached  Chanaan,  and  Jacob, 
having  heard  that  there  was  wheat  in  Egypt  for  sale,  sent 
ten  of  his  sons  with  money  to  buy  food.  But  Benjamin,  the 
youngest,  he  kept  at  home,  fearing  lest  some  evil  might 
befall  him  on  the  way. 

The  ten  sons  of  Jacob  arrived  safely  in  Egypt,  and,  seeing 
Joseph,  they  bowed  down  before  him,  not  knowing  that  he 
was  their  brother2.  But  he  at  once  recognized  them,  and 
remembered  the  dreams  he  had  dreamed 3.  He  wished  to 
know  whether  they  were  now  sorry  for  their  sin4;  so  he 
spoke  to  them,  as  if  they  were  strangers  to  him,  and  said: 
"You  are  spies"  5. 

They  answered:  "It  is  not  so,  my  lord,  but  we  have  come 
to  buy  food.  We,  thy  servants,  are  twelve  brethren,  the 
sons  of  one  man  in  the  land  of  Chanaan.  The  youngest  is 
with  our  father;  the  other  is  not  living"6.  Joseph  then  cast 
them  into  prison  three  days7. 

1  Corn,  wheat  &c.  —  2  Joseph  was  a  boy  of  sixteen,  when  they  sold 
him,  and  was  now  thirty-eight  years  old.  He  would  have  changed  a 
great  deal  in  appearance  in  twenty-two  years.  Besides  that,  they  could 
never  have  dreamt  that  their  young  slave  brother  could  have  become 
this  great  ruler.  —  3  the  first  of  which  was  then  fulfilled.  —  4  and 
if  they  had  improved.  Above  all  things,  he  wished  to  find  out  if  they 
treated  his  young  brother  Benjamin  as  harshly  and  unlovingly  as  they 
had   treated   him.    This  was  why  he  forced   them  to  bring  Benjamin 


THE  SONS  OF  JACOB  GO  INTO  EGYPT.  121 

back  with  them,  so  that  he  might  be  convinced  with  his  own  eyes 
that  he  was  still  alive.  —  5  i.  e.  you  are  foreign  informers,  and  wish 
to  find  out  where  this  country  could  be  most  easily  invaded  and 
conquered.  —  6  The  brothers  might  well  have  hesitated  and  wondered 
what  to  say  about  Joseph.  —  7  He  did  this,  so  that  they  might  have 
time  to  enter  into  themselves,  and  confess  the  sin,  which  they  had 
committed  against  him. 

On  the  third  day,  he  brought  them  out,  and  said:  "If  you 
be  peaceable  men,  let  one  of  your  brethren  be  bound  in 
prison,  and  go  ye  your  ways,  and  carry  the  corn,  that  you 
have  bought  into  your  houses ;  and  bring  your  youngest 
brother  to  me,  that  I  may  find  your  words  to  be  true,  and 
you  may  not  die." 

Then,  they  said  one  to  another:  "We  deserve  to  suffer 
these  things,  because  we  have  sinned  against  our  brother, 
seeing  the  anguish  of  his  soul,  when  he  besought  us,  and  we 
would  not  hear;  therefore,  is  this  affliction  come  upon  us"8. 
They  thought  that  Joseph  did  not  understand  them,  for  he 
spoke  to  them  through  an  interpreter9.  But  he  understood 
all  that  they  said,  and  his  heart  was  moved  with  pity,  so 
that,  turning  aside  from  them,  he  wept10. 

But  in  order  to  see,  if  their  repentance  was  sincere,  he 
returned  to  them  and  ordered  Simeon  n  to  be  bound  before 
their  eyes.  Then,  he  commanded  his  servants  to  fill  their 
sacks  with  wheat,  and  put  each  man's  money  secretly  in 
his  sack 12 ,  and  give  them ,  besides ,  provisions 13  for  their 
journey.  This  being  done,  they  loaded  their  asses  with  the 
corn,  and  returned  home. 

They  related  to  their  father  all  that  had  happened,  and, 
on  opening  their  sacks,  every  man  found  his  money  tied  in 
the  mouth  of  his  sack.  Seeing  this,  they  were  troubled  and 
afraid14.  And  Jacob  said  to  them:  "You  have  made  me 
childless.  Joseph  is  not  living,  Simeon  is  kept  in  bonds,  and 
Benjamin  ye  will  take  away.  My  son  shall  not  go  down 
with  you,  for,  if  any  evil  befall  him,  you  will  bring  my  hairs 
in  sorrow  to  the  grave." 

8  We  can  see  by  these  words  that  they  had  entered  into  themselves 
in  prison,  and  now,  confessed  their  guilt  towards  Joseph.  —  9  A  man, 
who  understood  and  translated  both  the  Hebrew  and  Egyptian  languages, 
Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  6 


122  CHAPTER  XXII. 

In  order  not  to  betray  himself  to  his  brethren,  he  spoke  to  them  in 
Egyptian,  and  the  interpreter  translated  what  he  said  to  his  brethren. 

—  10  He  was  moved  by  the  penitent  dispositions  of  his  brothers.  We 
can  see  by  Joseph's  tears  that  his  harshness  to  his  brothers  arose 
from  no  desire  of  revenge,  but  from  the  very  best  intentions.  — 
11  Simeon  was  the  brother  next  in  age  to  Reuben.  Joseph  would  not 
have  Reuben  bound,  because  he  had  wished  to  save  him ;  therefore,  he 
kept  the  next  eldest  as  a  hostage.  Very  likely  Simeon  had  been  the 
chief  instigator  of  Joseph's  ill-treatment,  and,  therefore,  a  longer 
captivity  was  necessary  to  bring  him  to  repentance.  —  12  He  would 
not  take  money  for   the  bread,  which  was   to   feed   his  own   family. 

—  13  All  that  was  necessary  for  the  journey.  —  u  They  feared,  that 
the  great  Egyptian  governor  would  take  them  for  thieves,  and  would 
be  more  severe  than  ever  with  them. 

II.  Commentary. 

Admonishing  sinners.  Joseph  treated  his  brethren  severely, 
not  out  of  revenge,  but  out  of  love.  He  wished  to  bring 
them  to  self-examination,  repentance  and  amendment  of  life. 
To  admonish  sinners,  so  as  to  convert  them  and  lead  them  to 
see  their  sins,  and  to  repent  of  them,  is  a  duty  of  brotherly 
love  and  one  of  the  spiritual  works  of  mercy.  St.  James  says 
(5,  20):  "He  who  causeth  a  sinner  to  be  converted  from 
the  error  of  his  way,  shall  save  his  soul  from  death,  and 
shall  cover  a  multitude  of  sins." 

The  object  of  sufferings.  God,  in  His  love,  inflicts  temporal 
sufferings  on  sinners,  so  that  they  may  thereby  be  saved 
from  the  eternal  sufferings  of  hell.  These  sufferings,  such 
as  sicknesses,  misfortunes  &c. ,  ought  to  have  the  effect  of 
turning  the  sinner's  thoughts  to  God,  death ,  judgment  and 
eternity,  of  teaching  him  to  see  the  vanity  of  earthly  things, 
and  of  leading  him  to  repent  of  his  sins,  do  penance,  and 
care  for  the  things  of  his  soul.  Such  troubles  are  called 
visitations,  for  it  is  in  this  way  that  God  visits  His  wandering 
children,  and  seeks  to  bring  them  back  to  the  right  way. 
"For,  whom  the  Lord  loveth,  He  chastiseth"  (Hebr.  12,  6). 
Millions  of  the  blessed  would  not  now  be  in  heaven,  if  God 
had  not  visited  them  with  tribulations  in  this  world. 

The  strictness  of  parents.  Parents  must  punish  their  children 
sometimes,  so  as  to  keep  them  from  evil.  They  do  so,  and 
must  do  so,  out  of  love.   Parents,  who  indulge  their  children 


THE  SONS  OF  JACOB  GO  INTO  EGYPT.  123 

in  everything,  have  no  true  love  for  them,  because  they  spoil 
them.  Happy  the  child,  whose  parents  are  strict.  "He  that 
spareth  the  rod,  hateth  his  son,  but  he  that  loveth  him, 
correcteth  him  betimes"  (Prov.  13,  24). 

Economy.  Joseph  practised  economy  in  the  time  of  plenty, 
in  order  to  be  able  to  help  others  in  the  time  of  need.  The 
wise  son  of  Sirach  says:  "Remember  poverty  in  the  time 
of  abundance ,  and  the  necessities  of  poverty  in  the  day  of 
riches"  (Ecclus.  18,  25). 

Feeding  the  hungry.  On  one  hand,  we  should  guard  against 
extravagance,  on  the  other,  against  the  detestable  vice  of 
avarice.  Joseph  fed  the  hungry  Egyptians  with  bread:  we 
too  ought  to  be  willing  to  help  those  in  need. 

A  bad  conscience.  It  was  really  from  kindness  that  Joseph 
secretly  returned  their  money  to  his  brothers,  and  gave  them 
provisions  for  their  journey.  But  his  generosity  caused  them 
no  joy,  only  anxiety  and  fear,  because  their  consciences 
were  guilty.  They  feared  that  God  meant  to  punish  them 
for  the  crime  they  had  committed  against  Joseph,  and  had 
brought  it  about  that  their  money  should  be  left  in  their 
sacks,  so  that  they  might  be  regarded  and  punished  as 
thieves.  An  evil  conscience  spoils  every  joy.  It  fills  the 
sinner  with  fear ,  and  follows  him  about  wherever  he  goes. 

The  treasury  of  Christ's  Merits.  Even  as  Pharao  said  to  the  hungry 
Egyptians:  "Go  to  Joseph,"  so  does  the  Heavenly  King  say  to  all 
those  who  are  laden  with  sin  and  misery:  "Go  to  Jesus,  and  do  all 
that  He  tells  you",  even  as  He  said  at  the  Transfiguration:  "This 
is  my  beloved  Son,  hear  ye  Him".  If  we  obey  this  command,  we 
shall  be  saved  from  death.  Jesus  Christ  bequeathed  to  His  Church 
a  treasury  of  His  superabundant  merits  and  graces,  from  which  we, 
by  means  of  the  seven  Sacraments,  can  draw  for  all  our  needs. 

St.  Joseph.  The  Church  applies  those  words:  "Go  to  Joseph,"  to 
the  holy  foster-father  of  our  Lord,  to  whom  the  Joseph  of  Egypt 
bore  much  resemblance.  St.  Joseph  was  holy ,  chaste ,  and  innocent, 
received  revelations  from  God ,  was  put  in  charge  of  the  Holy 
Family,  and  is  now  in  heaven,  the  true  guardian  and  protector  of 
every  child  of  Jesus.  His  powerful  intercession  opens  to  us  the  treasury 
of  divine  grace.  He  is  the  special  patron  of  the  holy  Church.  We 
ought  to  venerate  St.  Joseph  very  much,  follow  his  virtuous  example, 
and  implore  his  intercession. 

6* 


124  CHAPTFR  XXIII. 

III.  Application. 

If  you  have  any  pain  to  bear,  such  as  toothache  &c,  offer 
it  to  God,  and  resolve  to  lead  a  better  life  for  the  future. 
If  you  are  punished  by  your  parents,  say  to  yourself:  "It 
is  what  I  deserve." 

Have  you  not  often  been  extravagant?  Do  not  waste 
anything ,  and  do  not  spend  money  unnecessarily ,  as ,  for 
instance,  on  sweet  things.  Do  not  purposely  spoil  your  clothes, 
books  &c. ;  and  willingly  give  of  your  savings  to  the  poor. 

Chapter  XXIII. 
BENJAMIN'S  JOURNEY  TO  EGYPT. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

BUT,  after  some  months,  the  corn,  which  the  sons  of  Jacob 
had  brought  from  Egypt,  was  consumed,  and  the  famine 
still  continued.  Therefore,  Jacob  said  to  his  sons:  "Go  again 
into  Egypt  and  bring  us  a  little  food."  Juda  told  his  father 
that  the  governor  had  forbidden  them  to  come  back  to  Egypt, 
unless  they  brought  Benjamin  with  them.  And  Juda  added: 
"Send  the  boy  with  me  that  we  may  set  forward,  lest 
both  we  and  our  children  perish.  I  take  the  boy  upon  me ; 
require  him  at  my  hand."1 

So  Jacob  consented  to  let  Benjamin  go.  And  he  told  his 
sons  to  take  some  of  the  best  fruits  of  the  country  as 
presents  to  the  governor  of  Egypt,  and  also  to  return  the 
money,  which  they  had  found  in  their  sacks,  lest  perhaps  it 
was  done  by  mistake.  Then,  he  prayed  that  God  might  prosper 
their  journey,  and  make  the  governor  of  Egypt  favourable 2 
to  them,  and   send  them  back  with  Simeon  and  Benjamin. 

1  I  will  be  surety  for  him.  I  will  stay  myself  in  Egypt  rather  than 
that  Benjamin  should  not  return  to  you.  —  2  favourably  inclined,  or 
kindly  disposed  towards  them. 

Then,  they  went  down  to  Egypt,  and  stood  before  Joseph. 
When  Joseph  saw  them,  and  Benjamin  in  their  midst,  he 
commanded  his  steward  to  conduct  them  to  his  house,  and 
prepare  a  banquet 3.  The  steward  obeyed.  But  the  brothers, 
on  finding  themselves  in  the  governor's  house,  were  seized 


BENJAMIN'S  JOURNEY  TO  EGYPT.  125 

with  fear,  and  said  one  to  another:  " Because  of  the  money, 
which  we  carried  back  the  first  time  in  our  sacks,  we  are 
brought  in  that  he  may  bring  upon  us  a  false  accusation, 
and  by  violence  make  slaves  of  us." 

Therefore,  they  went  to  the  steward  at  the  door,  and  said : 
"We  cannot  tell,  who  put  that  money  in  our  bags."  But 
he  said  to  them:  "Peace  be  to  you;  fear  not."  And  he 
brought  Simeon  out  to  them.  Joseph,  having  now  entered 
the  house,  they  bowed  down  before  him  and  offered  their 
gifts.  He  kindly  saluted  them  in  return,  and  asked,  if  their 
aged  father  was  still  living4. 

They  told  him  that  their  father  lived,  and  was  in  good 
health.  Then  Joseph,  seeing  Benjamin,  inquired,  if  that  was 
their  youngest  brother.  They  answered:  "He  is  our  youngest 
brother."  Then  Joseph  said:  "God  be  gracious  to  thee,  my 
son";  and,  going  out,  he  wept,  for  his  heart  was  deeply 
touched  at  the  sight  of  his  young  brother5.  Having  dried 
his  tears  and  washed  his  face 6,  he  returned  to  his  brethren 
and  ordered  food  to  be  placed  before  them.  Then,  they  were 
ordered  to  sit  before  him,  and  he  placed  them  according  to 
their  age,  the  first-born  first,  and  the  youngest  last.  All 
received  gifts,  but  Benjamin  received  five  times  more  than 
the  rest7.    And  they  wondered  much8. 

3  As  soon  as  Joseph  had  convinced  himself  that  Benjamin  was  alive, 
he  resolved  to  receive  his  brothers  cordially,  and  have  a  feast  prepared. 
—  4  How  beautiful  and  touching  it  is  that  Joseph's  first  thought 
should  be  to  ask  after  his  father.  —  5  Benjamin  had  been  quite  a 
little  child,  when  Joseph  was  sold.  —  6  so  that  they  might  not  see 
that  he  had  been  weeping.  —  7  By  doing  this,  Joseph  not  only  wished 
to  distinguish  and  favour  his  young  brother,  but  he  also  wished  to 
see ,  if  his  brothers  envied  Benjamin ,  as  they  had  envied  him.  — 
8  They  could  not  understand,  how  this  Egyptian  governor  could  know, 
which  was  eldest  &c.  With  the  exception  of  Benjamin,  they  were 
all  grown  men  of  over  forty ,  and ,  at  that  time  of  life ,  it  is  not 
easy  to  judge  the  difference  of  age. 

II.  Commentary. 

God  rules  over  everything,  even  the  hearts  of  men.  For 
this  reason  Jacob  said,  when  he  sent  his  sons  back  to  Egypt: 
"May  my  Almighty  God  make  the  man  favourable  to  you." 


126  CHAPTER  XXIII. 

God  governs  the  hearts  of  men  by  His  grace.  "As  the  division 
of  the  waters,  so  is  the  heart  of  the  king  in  the  hand  of  the 
Lord.  Whithersoever  He  will,  He  shall  turn  it"  (Prov.  21,  1). 

Love  for  parents.  The  first  thing  Joseph  did  was  to  ask 
after  his  father.  While  he  was  at  home,  Joseph  had  loved, 
honoured  and  obeyed  him,  and  been  a  joy  to  him ;  and  now, 
though  he  had  become  so  distinguished,  rich  and  powerful,  he 
still  loved  his  father  dearly,  and  was  most  anxious  for  news 
of  his  welfare.    He  thus  observed  the  Fourth  Commandment. 

Love  for  brothers  and  sisters.  Joseph  sincerely  loved  his 
brothers.  He  meant  well  by  them,  and  was  severe  to  them 
only  for  the  purpose  of  doing  them  good.  As  soon  as  he 
was  sure  that  Benjamin  had  suffered  no  harm  from  them, 
he  was  kind  to  them.  He  did  not  return  evil  for  evil,  but 
rather  good  for  evil.  They  had  sold  him  for  money,  and 
he,  in  return,  gave  them  plenty  of  corn.  They  had  thrown 
him  into  a  pit  and  nearly  starved  him:  he  took  them  into 
his  house,  and  feasted  them  royally.  They  had  treated  him 
as  a  rogue  and  a  slave :  he  had  them  waited  on  like  princes. 
They  remained  unmoved,  when  he  prayed  for  mercy:  he  was 
so  moved  by  the  sight  of  them  and  their  anxieties  that  he 
could  not  restrain  his  tears.  Is  he  not  a  noble  and  beautiful 
character?  Would  that  all  brothers  and  sisters  loved  each 
other  like  that! 

Restitution.  Jacob  bade  his  sons  take  back  with  them 
the  money,  which  they  had  found  in  their  sacks ;  the  reason, 
which  he  gave,  being  that  it  might  have  been  put  there  by 
mistake.  Jacob  was,  we  can  see  by  this,  upright  and  con- 
scientious, and  wished  to  restore  what  he  had  found  to  its 
owner.  "If",  said  he  to  himself,  "this  Egyptian  governor 
refuses  to  take  money  for  the  corn,  and  has  had  the  money 
returned  in  the  sacks  on  purpose,  then,  we  can  keep  it 
with  a  clear  conscience;  but  if  it  has  been  given  back  by 
mistake,  I  will,  any  how,  return  it,  and  then,  my  conscience 
cannot  reproach  me." 

III.  Application. 

How  do  you  behave  to  your  brothers  and  sisters?  Do 
you   provoke    or   strike   them?     And   are   you   angry   and 


JOSEPH'S  SILVER  CUP.  127 

revengeful,  when  they  have  injured  you  ?  Do  you  often  quarrel 
with  them  ?  Where,  then,  is  your  love  for  them  ?  You  ought 
to  love  all  your  neighbours;  and  surely  your  brothers  and 
sisters  are  nearer  to  you  than  any  one  else,  and  you  ought 
to  love  them  more  than  any  one  else. 

Do  you  really  love  your  parents?  Do  you  ever  vex  or 
grieve  them  ?  You  will  have  neither  happiness  nor  blessing 
in  life,  if  you  do  not  honour  your  parents. 

Have  you  kept  anything,  which  does  not  belong  to  you? 
Have  you  always  restored  anything  you  have  found  to  its 
owner,  or  returned  the  money,  when  too  much  change  has 
been  given  to  you  &c. 

Chapter  XXIY. 
JOSEPH'S  SILVER  CUP. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

JOSEPH  showed  this  preference  for  Benjamin,  in  order 
to  see,  if  his  brothers  had  overcome  their  former  envious 
feelings.  He  wished  to  know,  also,  whether  they  really  loved 
their  youngest  brother,  or  whether  they  would  sacrifice  him, 
also,  to  a  spirit  of  jealousy  *. 

Hence,  he  commanded  the  steward  to  fill  their  sacks  with 
corn,  and  to  put  each  one's  money  in  the  top  of  his  sack; 
but  to  place  in  the  mouth  of  Benjamin's  sack  Joseph's 
own  silver  cup.  This  was  done,  and  the  brothers  set  out 
on  their  journey. 

But  they  had  scarcely  gone  forward  a  little  way,  when 
Joseph  sent  his  steward  after  them,  who,  overtaking  them, 
accused  them  of  stealing  his  master's  cup.  He  said:  "Why 
have  ye  returned  evil  for  good?"2  Struck  with  terror,  and 
angry  at  being  suspected  of  theft,  the  brothers  replied: 
"With  whomsoever  the  cup  shall  be  found,  let  him  die3, 
and  we  will  be  the  bondsmen  of  my  lord."  The  steward 
replied:  "Be  it  according  to  your  words." 

They  immediately  took  down  their  sacks  and  opened  them, 
and  when  the  steward  had  searched  them  all,  beginning 
with  that  of  the  eldest,  he  found  the  cup  in  Benjamin's  sack. 


128  CHAPTER  XXIV. 

The  brothers,  rending  their   garments4,  loaded   their  asses 
again  and  returned  to  the  city5. 

1  Joseph  could  see  that  his  brothers  had  improved.  Benjamin  was 
alive,  so  it  was  plain  that  they  had  not  put  him  out  of  the  way. 
Also  their  words:  "We  deserve  to  suffer  these  things",  bore  witness 
to  the  change  for  the  better  in  them.  But  he  still  wished  to  see  if 
they  had  completely  changed.  It  was  true  that  Benjamin  was  alive, 
but,  all  the  same,  they  might  envy  and  hate  him,  and  this  he  wished 
to  put  to  the  proof,  by  placing  Benjamin  in  what  was  apparently  a 
very  dangerous  position,  and  seeing  if  they  would  forsake  him.  — 
2  Why  have  you  thus  repaid  the  hospitality  of  my  master?  —  3  This 
they  said ,  each  feeling  quite  certain  that  no  one  of  the  others  was 
capable  of  such  an  act.  —  4  with  grief.  —  5  i.  e.  the  city,  where 
Joseph  dwelt.  With  what  feelings  of  fear,  grief  and  repentance  must 
they  have  returned! 

And,  falling  down  before  Joseph6,  they  said:  "Behold,  we 
are  all  bondmen  to  my  lord"7.  But  Joseph  answered:  "God 
forbid!  He  that  stole  the  cup,  he  shall  be  my  bondman, 
and  go  you  away  free  to  your  father." 

Then,  Juda  told  Joseph,  how  much  it  had  cost  their  father 
to  part  with  Benjamin.  They  would  rather  die,  all  of  them, 
he  said,  than  return  to  their  aged  father  without  his  youngest 
son.  Juda,  moreover,  offered  to  remain,  and  be  the  governor's 
slave  till  death,  if  he  would  allow  Benjamin  to  go  back  safe 
to  his  father8.  This  proposal  showed,  how  sincere  was  the 
repentance  of  the  sons  of  Jacob  for  their  former  crime. 

6  When,  on  other  occasions,  they  had  come  into  Joseph's  presence, 
they  had  bowed  down  to  the  ground  before  him,  but  this  time,  they 
prostrated  themselves ,  for  they  felt  that  everything  depended  on 
propitiating  this  great  man.  —  7  When  first  accused,  they  had  said  : 
"With  whomsoever  the  cup  shall  be  found,  let  him  die".  But  Juda 
makes  no  mention  of  this  now.  Once  it  is  a  question  of  Benjamin, 
they  would  all  prefer  being  slaves,  rather  than  that  he  should  perish. 
—  8  Juda's  conduct  was  very  noble.  He  was  quite  ready  to  give 
himself  to  be  a  slave,  in  Benjamin's  stead,  so  as  to  spare  to  his  father 
the  sorrow  of  the  boy's  loss.  It  was  no  longer  possible  for  Joseph 
to  doubt  the  change  in  his  brothers'  dispositions. 

II.  Commentary. 

Sin  is  an  ingratitude  to  God.  Almighty  God  might  well 
say  to  us,  what  the  steward  said  to  Joseph's  brethren:  "Why 
have  you  returned  evil  for  good  ?   I  have  done  good  to  you ; 


JOSEPH  MAKES  HIMSELF  KNOWN  TO  HIS  BRETHREN.     129 

I  have  given  you  life  and  health  and  grace,  and  you  have 
repaid  my  bounties  with  ingratitude.  You  have  done  a  very 
evil  thing  each  time  you  have  sinned."  Mortal  sin,  especially, 
is  a  base  act  of  ingratitude  towards  God,  our  Father. 

Love  for  our  parents,  and  brothers  and  sisters.  Juda  had, 
evidently,  a  very  sincere  love  both  for  his  father  and  for 
his  brother  Benjamin.  Children  should  show  their  love  for 
their  parents  by  never  annoying  or  grieving  them,  and  by 
helping  them  in  their  necessities.  And,  in  the  same  way, 
brothers  and  sisters  ought  to  love  one  another. 

III.  Application. 

In  order  to  spare  his  old  father  grief,  Juda  offered  to  be 
a  slave,  instead  of  Benjamin,  for  the  rest  of  his  life.  Have 
you  never  caused  sorrow  to  your  parents?  Repent  of  this, 
and  take  every  pains  to  be  a  joy  to  them  by  your  obedience, 
diligence  &c.    "Son,  grieve  not  thy  father"  (Ecclus.  3,  14). 

Juda  adopted  Benjamin  and  protected  him.  You  ought  to 
take  up  the  cause  of  your  younger  brothers  and  sisters,  and 
help  them  to  pray  and  learn,  to  keep  from  evil,  and  love  what 
is  good.  But  are  you  not,  on  the  contrary,  cross  with  them, 
and  do  you  not,  sometimes,  encourage  them  to  do  wrong? 

Chapter  XXV. 

JOSEPH  MAKES  HIMSELF  KNOWN  TO  HIS  BRETHREN. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

JOSEPH  could  no  longer  restrain  himself,  and,  therefore, 
he  commanded  his  officers  and  servants  to  retire 1.  Then, 
with  tears  and  sobs2,  he  said:  "I  am  Joseph.  Is  my  father 
yet  living  ? " 3  His  brothers  could  not  answer  him ,  being 
struck  with  exceeding  great  fear4.  But  Joseph  said  mildly 
to  them:  "Come  nearer  to  me.  I  am  Joseph,  your  brother, 
whom  you  sold  into  Egypt.  Fear  nothing,  for  God  sent  me 
before  you  into  Egypt  for  your  preservation"5. 

Then  he  said:  "Make  haste,  and  go  ye  up  to  my  father, 
and  say  to  him:  'Thus  saith  thy  son  Joseph:  Come  down 
to  me;  linger  not;  and  thou  shalt  dwell  in  the  land  of  Gessen; 


130 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


and  thou  shalt  be  near  me,  thou  and  thy  sons.'"  Then, 
falling  upon  the  neck  of  Benjamin,  he  wept,  and  Benjamin 
wept  also  in  like  manner.  Then,  he  embraced  all  his  brethren, 
and  wept  over  them,  after  which  they  were  emboldened  to 
speak  to  him. 

The  news  went  abroad  in  the  king's  court:  The  brethren 
of  Joseph  are  come.  And  Pharao,  with  all  his  family,  was 
glad.  He  told  Joseph  to  invite  his  father  and  his  brethren 
to  come  to  Egypt.  Joseph  gave  his  brothers  chariots  and 
provisions  for  the  way.  He  ordered  two  robes  to  be  given 
to  each  of  them,  but  to  Benjamin  he  gave  five  robes  of  the 
best,  with  three  hundred  pieces  of  silver.  Besides,  he  gave 
them  rich  presents  for  their  father,  and  warned  them  not 
to  be  angry  on  the  way 6. 

1  They  were  all  Egyptians.  He  wished  to  talk  undisturbed  with  his 
brothers,  and  also  did  not  wish  to  make  known  their  guilt  to  others. 
—  2  His  heart  was  so  moved  that  he  had  to  weep,  before  he  could 
utter  a  word.  —  3  How  he  loved  his  father!  He  asked  repeatedly 
after  him,  in  order  to  hear  over  and  over  again  the  glad  news 
that  he  was  still  alive.  —  4  Their  guilty  consciences  made  them  fear 


JOSEPH  MAKES  HIMSELF  KNOWN  TO  HIS  BRETHREN.    131 

that  Joseph  would  now  revenge  himself  on  them.  —  5  He  meant:  It 
was  by  Grod's  providence  that  I  came  here,  and  became  governor  over 
Egypt,  in  order  to  save  you  and  the  Egyptians  from  starvation.  He 
wished  to  comfort  them  and  find  excuses  for  them ,  and  thus  give 
them  courage.  —  e  He  feared  that  they  might  begin  to  reproach  one 
another,  and  each  one  make  out  that  the  others  had  had  the  greater 
share  in  the  cruelty,  practised  on  Joseph.  On  this  account,  he 
admonished  them  to  keep  the  peace. 

II.  Commentary. 

Providence.  "  Not  by  your  counsel  was  I  sent  hither,  but 
by  the  will  of  God  ",  said  Joseph  to  his  brothers.  He  under- 
stood that  it  was  by  God's  permission  that  he  was  sold  by 
them.  It  was,  indeed,  a  great  crime,  which  the  brothers 
committed.  It  was  not  by  God's  will  that  the  evil  was  done, 
because  He,  being  holy,  can  will  no  evil ;  but  He  permitted 
it,  and  so  guided  matters  that  good  came  out  of  evil.  The 
good,  that  came  out  of  it,  was  threefold.  Firstly,  Joseph's 
virtue  was  tried  and  strengthened,  and  subsequently  rewarded 
by  his  exaltation.  Secondly,  his  own  relatives  and  all  the 
Egyptians  were  saved  from  starvation.  Thirdly,  his  brothers 
were  converted. 

Forgiveness  of  others.  Just  think,  how  cruelly  his  brothers 
had  behaved  to  this  innocent  Joseph.  Being  the  powerful 
governor  of  Egypt,  he  could  easily  have  had  them  cast  into 
prison  or  killed,  or  he  could  have  kept  them  as  his  slaves. 
Instead  of  this,  he  freely  forgave  them.  He  did  not  even 
reproach  them,  but,  on  the  contrary,  made  excuses  for  them, 
and  loaded  them  with  presents.  Was  not  that  beautiful 
and  magnanimous! 

Joseph  as  a  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  We  saw  in  Chapt.  XXI 
in  how  many  ways  Joseph  is  a  type  of  our  Blessed  Lord. 
In  this  present  chapter  we  can  see  a  still  further  resem- 
blance in  him  to  the  Divine  Saviour.  As  Joseph  forgave 
and  excused  his  brethren,  so  did  our  Lord,  hanging  on  the 
Cross,  forgive  His  enemies,  and  pray  for  them:  "Father, 
forgive  them,  for  they  know  not,  what  they  do!" 

The  terror  of  sinners  at  the  Last  Judgment.  When  Joseph  said  to 
his  brethren:  "I  am  Joseph!"  they  were  so  full  of  fear  that  they 
could  not   speak.     How  much  greater   will  be  the  fear   of  sinners  at 


132  CHAPTER  XXVI. 

the  Last  Judgment,  when  Jesus  appears  in  power  and  majesty,  and 
says:  "I  am  Jesus,  Whom  you  have  persecuted,  and  injured  and 
crucified  hy  your  sins!" 

III.  .Application. 

Joseph's  example  teaches  us  that  we  should  from  our 
hearts  forgive  those  who  have  injured  us,  and  return  with 
good  the  evil  they  have  done  to  us.  The  love  of  our  enemies 
is,  therefore,  a  beautiful  and  great  virtue,  which  we  Christians 
are  bound  to  practise. 

Brothers  and  sisters  ought  to  love  each  other.  Joseph's 
exhortation  to  his  brethren:  "Be  not  angry  in  the  way", 
applies  especially  to  them. 

Chapter  XXVI. 
JACOB  GOES  INTO  EGYPT. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

WHEN  Joseph's  brethren  returned  to  their  father,  they 
told  him:  "Joseph,  thy  son,  is  living,  and  he  is  ruler 
in  all  the  land  of  Egypt."  But  Jacob  did  not  believe  them, 
till  they  showed  him  the  chariots  and  all  the  presents,  that 
Joseph  had  sent.  Then  he  awoke,  as  it  were,  from  a  deep 
sleep1;  his  spirit  revived2,  and  he  said:  "It  is  enough  for 
me,  if  Joseph,  my  son,  be  yet  living3.  I  will  go  and  see 
him,  before  I  die." 

And  he  set  out  for  Egypt,  with  his  whole  family4  and 
all  his  possessions.  When  he  had  reached  the  confines  of 
Chanaan,  he  offered  a  sacrifice  to  God 5,  Who  spoke  to  him 
in  a  vision  of  the  night,  saying:  "Fear  not,  go  down  into 
Egypt,  for  I  will  make  a  great  nation  of  thee  there,  and 
will  bring  thee  back  again  from  hence."  Consoled  by  the 
vision,  Jacob  continued  his  journey,  and  arrived  in  Egypt. 

1  When  a  person  dreams  something  terrible  and  alarming,  and  then 
wakes  up ,  and  finds  that  there  is  no  real  cause  for  fear ,  he  feels 
relieved  and  consoled.  Jacob  had  hitherto  mourned  for  his  son  Joseph, 
as  for  one  dead  —  and  now,  he  heard  that  he  was  alive !  His  former 
grief  was  like  a  terrible  dream  of  the  past,  and  it  was,  as  if  a  heavy 
load  were  removed  from  his  heart.  However,  it  seemed  so  wonderful 
that  Joseph,  whose  blood-stained  coat  he  had  seen  with  his  own  eyes 


JACOB  GOES  INTO  EGYPT.  133 

should  be  alive,  and  a  great  ruler  in  Egypt,  that  he  could  not  believe 
it  to  be  true,  until  he  saw  the  waggons  and  costly  gifts  he  had  sent. 

—  2  His  spirit,  knocked  down  and  crushed  by  grief,  recovered  itself, 
and  he  felt  happy.  —  8  It  is  quite  enough  for  me  to  know  that  my  son 
is  alive.  That  he  is  rich  and  powerful  is  quite  a  secondary  consideration. 
I  do  not  want  anything  in  this  world,  except  to  see  him  once  more. 

—  4  Jacob's  sons  were  nearly  all  married,  and  had  children.  In  all, 
Jacob's  family,  without  counting  the  wives,  amounted  to  seventy 
persons.  —  5  Jacob  found  himself  on  the  point  of  again  leaving  the 
land,  which  God  had  promised  to  give  to  him  and  his  descendants,  and 
of  going  with  all  his  family  into  a  strange  country.  Very  likely,  the 
doubt  arose  in  his  mind,  whether  he  were  doing  right.  He  desired  that 
Almighty  God  would  make  known  His  will  to  him,  and  he  wished, 
in  case  he  were  acting  rightly,  to  ask  the  Lord's  gracious  protection 
for  his  journey.  God  heard  Jacob's  prayer,  and  gave  him  a  threefold 
assurance :  firstly ,  that  he  might  without  fear  proceed  on  his  way ; 
secondly,  that  his  descendants  would  become  a  great  people  in  Egypt; 
and  thirdly,  that  God  would  bring  this  people  back  to  Chanaan. 

Juda  went  on  in  advance,  to  apprise  Joseph  of  his  father's 
approach.  Joseph  immediately  made  ready  his  chariot,  and 
went  up  to  meet  his  father. ,  As  soon  as  he  saw  him  coming, 
he  descended  from  his  chariot  and  embraced  him,  weeping. 

And  Jacob  said  to  Joseph:  "Now  I  shall  die  with  joy, 
because  I  have  seen  thy  face,  and  leave  thee  alive."  Joseph 
presented  his  father  to  Pharao,  who  asked  him:  "How  many 
are  the  years  of  thy  life?"  Jacob  answered:  "The  days 
of  my  pilgrimage 6  are  a  hundred  and  thirty  years ,  few 7 
and  evil8,  and  they  are  not  come  up  to  the  days  of  the 
pilgrimage  of  my  fathers."  Then  Jacob,  having  blessed  the 
king,  retired.  And  Joseph  gave  his  father  and  his  brothers 
possessions  in  the  land  of  Gessen9,  the  most  beautiful  and 
fertile  part  of  Egypt. 

6  i.  e.  my  life.  —  7  in  comparison  with  those  of  his  fathers.  Abraham 
lived  to  be  175,  Isaac  180,  and  Noe  950  years  old.  —  8  He  called 
his  days  evil,  because  he  had  had  so  much  trouble  in  his  life.  — 
9  the  north-east  part  of  Egypt  (see  map). 

II.  Commentary. 

The  love  of  parents  for  their  children.  You  can  see  by  the 
example  of  Jacob,  how  very  strong  is  the  love,  which  parents 
have  for  their  children.  He  had  mourned  for  Joseph  for 
twenty-three  long  years,  and  the  moment  he  heard  that  he 


134  CHAPTER  XXVI. 

was  alive,  he,  full  of  fatherly  love,  cried  out  that  he  asked 
for  nothing  more  on  earth  than  to  see  his  son  Joseph  once 
more.  Then,  too,  how  troubled  he  was  about  the  prisoner 
Simeon,  and  how  anxiously  careful  of  Benjamin !  He  proved 
his  love  for  Joseph  by  his  actions,  for  out  of  love  for  him 
he  left  his  home,  notwithstanding  his  infirmities,  and  under- 
took a  long  and  difficult  journey.  Parents  are  only  too 
willing  to  do  all  that  they  can  for  their  children. 

Love  and  respect  for  parents.  This  story  shows  to  us  the 
love  and  respect,  which  Joseph  had  for  his  father.  Joseph 
acted  as  he  did,  although  his  father  was  a  shepherd,  and 
shepherds  were  despised  in  Egypt.  Moreover,  by  reason  of 
the  famine,  Jacob  had  become  poor.  Joseph,  however,  was 
not  ashamed  of  the  humble  and  poor  condition  of  his  father, 
but  showed  him  every  open  mark  of  respect,  that  he  could. 

Respect  for  old  age.  King  Pharao  paid  respect  to  Jacob, 
not  only  because  he  was  Joseph's  father,  but  because  of  his 
old  age.  We  should  always  respect  old  age.  "Rise  up 
before  the  hoary  head ,  and  honour  the  person  of  the  aged 
man"  (Lev.  19,  32). 

Prayer  for  light.  Jacob  prayed  and  offered  up  a  sacrifice, 
in  order  to  learn  God's  will.  If  we  are  in  doubt,  we  should 
seek  counsel  not  only  from  our  parents,  confessor  &c. ,  but 
we  should  pray  to  the  Holy  Ghost  for  light. 

Consolation  in  suffering.  Once  both  Jacob  and  Joseph  wept 
for  sorrow;  now  they  wept  for  joy.  After  the  rain,  comes 
sunshine,  and  after  sorrow,  comes  joy,  often  in  this  world, 
but  most  certainly  in  the  next,  if  the  sufferings  are  borne 
with  patience  and  resignation.  "  God  shall  wipe  away  all 
tears  from  their  eyes:  and  death  shall  be  no  more,  nor 
mourning  nor  crying"  (Apoc.  21,  4). 

Life  is  a  pilgrimage.  God's  servants  know  that  they  are 
strangers  and  pilgrims  on  earth.  "  The  years  of  my  pilgrimage 
have  been  few  and  evil ",  said  old  Jacob.  His  life  had,  indeed, 
been  one  of  unrest,  pain,  and  danger.  He  had  had  to  leave 
his  home,  when  he  was  jquite  young,  and  live  for  many  years 
in  exile  and  servitude.  After  his  return  home,  there  fell  on 
him  the  heavy  blow  of  Joseph's  loss.   Then,  came  the  great 


JACOB  GOES  INTO  EGYPT.  135 

famine;  and  now,  towards  the  end  of  his  life,  he  found 
himself  once  more  in  a  strange  country,  far  from  the  Promised 
Land.  He  looked  back  sadly  on  his  years  of  pilgrimage,  and 
told  the  king  that  they  had  been  evil.  But,  at  the  same 
time,  he  looked  onward  to  that  better  and  imperishable 
home,  which  is  the  aim  and  end  of  our  earthly  pilgrimage. 
Comparing  his  life  in  this  world  with  that  which  is  eternal, 
he  said  that  his  long  years  of  pilgrimage  had  been  few. 
"For  we  have  not  here  a  lasting  city"  (Hebr.  13,  14);  we 
are  but  pilgrims  on  the  road  to  eternity.  Heaven  is  our 
home.  We  should  not,  therefore,  cling  to  the  things  of 
this  earth ,  but  should ,  above  all  things,  seek  the  kingdom 
of  God.  St.  Peter  writes:  "I  beseech  you,  as  strangers 
and  pilgrims ,  to  refrain  yourselves  from  carnal  desires " 
(1  Pet.  2,  11). 

God's  Wisdom,  shown  oy  His  guidance  of  the  Israelites.  Why  did 
Almighty  God's  wise  providence  send  Jacob  and  his  family  into  Egypt? 
In  order  that  Jacob's  descendants ,  His  chosen  people ,  should  not  be 
led  into  idolatry.  The  danger  of  this  would  have  been  very  great  in 
Chanaan,  where  they  lived,  surrounded  by  idolaters.  Esau  had  already 
made  himself  one  with  the  children  of  Heth.  Had  Jacob's  descendants 
remained  in  Chanaan,  they  would  have  either  got  scattered  among  the 
heathen,  or  they  would  have  died  out.  They  could  not  have  developed 
into  an  independent  nation.  In  Egypt  it  was  different.  The  Israelites 
lived  in  a  district  of  their  own,  cut  off  from  and  despised  by  the 
Egyptians,  on  account  of  their  being  shepherds:  thus,  the  danger  of 
falling  away  from  the  true  God  was  less.  Besides  this,  God  knew 
that  His  chosen  people  would  be  purified  by  their  long  course  of 
servitude  and  suffering,  and  would  be,  as  it  were,  forced  by  want 
and  persecution,  to  place  all  their  confidence  in  God,  and  look  to  Him 
as  their  only  Helper  and  Saviour.  Lastly,  Jacob's  descendants  would 
learn  much  that  was  valuable  from  the  Egyptians,  these  being  far 
ahead  of  the  Chanaanites  in  agriculture,  the  arts,  and  all  social  laws 
and  institutions.  By  this  means,  the  Israelites  would  be  educated  for 
their  high  vocation. 

III.  Application. 

Say  the  first  words  of  the  Our  Father:  "Our  Father  Who 
art  in  heaven",  with  great  devotion.  Excite  in  yourself  a 
longing  for  heaven,  and  say:  "Thy  kingdom  come."  To 
win  heaven  is  the  most  important  business  of  our  lives. 


136  CHAPTER  XXVI  r. 

Chapter  XXVII. 
THE  LAST  WORDS   OF   JACOB. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 
ACOB  lived  seventeen  years  in  Gressen.    When  the  day  of 


j 


his  end  approached,  Joseph,  with  his  two  sons,  Ephraim 
and  Manasses,  went  to  visit  him.  Jacob  kissed  the  boys, 
blessed  them,  and  prayed  that  the  angel,  who  had  delivered 
him  from  evil,  during  life,  might  protect  the  sons  of  Joseph 1. 
To  Joseph  he  said:  "Behold,  I  die,  and  God  will  be  with 
you,  and  bring  you  back  into  the  land  of  your  fathers." 

Then,  his  children  and  grandchildren  having  assembled 
round  his  couch ,  he  blessed  them  all.  To  Juda 2  he  gave 
a  special  blessing.  "Juda,"  said  he,  "thy  hand  shall  be  on 
the  neck  of  thy  enemies.  The  sons  of  thy  father3  shall 
bow  down  to  thee,  and  the  sceptre4  shall  not  be  taken 
away  from  Juda,  till  He  come  that  is  to  be  sent5,  and  He 
shall  be  the  expectation  of  nations."6 

Then,  having  told  them  to  bury  him  with  his  fathers  in 
the  land  of  Chanaan,  he  died. 

i  "Thy  two  sons  shall  be  mine,"  Jacob  said  to  Joseph,  "and  shall 
inherit  with  mine".  What  should  they  inherit?  Joseph  was  much 
richer  than  his  father,  and  neither  he  nor  his  sons  required  that  which 
Jacob  possessed  in  Gessen.  The  inheritance,  which  he  meant,  was  that 
which  God  had  promised  to  his  descendants,  namely  the  Promised 
Land.  Of  this  land  the  two  sons  of  Joseph  were  to  have  equal  shares 
with  the  eleven  brothers  of  their  father,  and  thus  Joseph  was  to  have 
a  double  portion.  In  chapter  XLV  you  will  learn,  how  punctually 
these  last  wishes  of  Jacob  were  carried  out.  —  2  who  was  next  eldest 
to  Joseph.  —  3  Thy  brothers  will  be  subject  to  thee,  i.  e.  the  tribe 
of  Juda  will  be  the  dominant  tribe  of  the  twelve.  —  4  The  sceptre, 
next  to  the  crown,  is  the  sign  of  royalty.  —  5  i.  e.  the  royal  dignity  will 
last  in  Juda,  until  the  Redeemer  comes.  Reuben,  by  an  evil  deed,  had 
made  himself  unworthy  of  his  birthright;  hence,  the  double  portion 
went  to  Joseph,  and  the  rulership  to  Juda.  —  e  expected  with  longing. 
As  they  were  the  heirs  of  the  promises,  God  inspired  the  patriarchs, 
Noe ,  Isaac  and  Jacob ,  in  the  making  of  their  last  testaments ,  and 
they  foretold  the  will  of  God,  as  if  it  were  their  own.  The  blessings 
they  gave,  and  the  arrangements  they  made,  were  in  reality  prophecies 
about  the  future  destiny  of  the  people  of  God. 


THE  LAST  WORDS  OF  JACOB.  137 

When  Joseph  saw  this,  he  fell  upon  his  father's  face, 
weeping  and  kissing  him.  He,  then,  ordered  the  body  to  be 
embalmed 7.  And  Pharao  commanded  that  all  Egypt  should 
mourn  Jacob  for  seventy  days.  When  the  time  of  mourning 
was  passed,  Joseph,  accompanied  by  all  the  ancients  of  the 
house  of  Pharao,  set  out  for  the  land  of  Chanaan,  and  buried 
the  remains  of  his  father  at  Hebron8.  Now,  Jacob,  being 
dead,  the  brothers  feared  that  Joseph  would  remember  the 
wrong  they  had  done  him,  and,  therefore,  they  came  to  him 
and  begged  forgiveness.  Joseph  received  them  kindly,  saying: 
"You  thought 9  evil  against  me,  but  God  turned  it  into  good." 10 

Joseph  lived  one  hundred  and  ten  years,  and  saw  his 
children's  children  to  the  third  generation.  When  his  end 
drew  near,  he  said11  to  his  brethren:  "God  will  visit12  you 
after  my  death,  and  will  make  you  go  up  out  of  this  land, 
to  the  land,  which  he  swore  to  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob. 
Carry  my  bones  with  you  out  of  this  place." 13  He  then 
died,  and  they  embalmed  him  and  laid  him  in  a  coffin. 

The  words  of  Jacob  to  his  son  Juda  refer  to  the  Saviour, 
who  was  expected  by  the  nations,  and  who  was  descended 
from  Juda.  The  patriarch  Joseph  is  a  figure  of  St.  Joseph, 
the  foster-father  of  Christ.  The  one  was  ruler  in  Egypt; 
the  other  is  the  protector  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

7  This  was  a  custom  among  the  Egyptians.  Balm  and  sweet  smelling 
drugs  were  introduced  into  the  body,  and  the  limbs  tightly  bandaged 
up.  By  this  means  the  body  was  preserved  from  corruption.  —  8  in 
the  double  cave,  where  Abraham,  Sara,  Isaac  and  Rebecca  were  already 
buried.  —  9  Your  intention  was  to  do  evil.  —  10  i.  e.  but  in  the  hands 
of  God,  what  was  evil  turned  into  good.  —  n  filled  with  a  prophetical 
spirit.  —  12  with  sufferings  and  persecutions.  —  13  The  splendour  of 
Egypt  had  not  made  Joseph  forget  the  Promised  Land.  He  always 
looked  on  it  as  his  country,  and  wished  to  have  his  body  buried  there. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  fifth  promise  of  the  Messias.  Jacob's  dying  prophecy 
treated,  firstly,  of  Juda's  precedence  •  over  his  brethren,  and, 
secondly,  of  the  coming  of  the  Redeemer.  Both  prophecies 
have  been  fulfilled.  Even  in  the  time  of  Moses,  the  tribe 
of  Juda  was  the  most  numerous  of  the  twelve.  To  this  tribe 
belonged  the  royal  race  of  David ;  and  with  it  remained  the 


138  CHAPTER  XXVIf. 

capital,  Jerusalem,  with  the  Temple  and  the  High  Priest. 
After  the  Babylonian  captivity,  this  tribe  gave  its  name  to 
the  whole  nation,  all  its  people  being  thenceforward  known 
by  the  name  of  Jews.  Finally,  from  the  tribe  of  Juda  sprang 
the  Messias  (Hebr.  7,  14),  to  whom  the  second  part  of  Jacob's 
prophecy  refers.  In  this  wonderful  prophecy,  uttered  1900  years 
B.  C. ,  the  very  time  of  our  Lord's  coming  was  foretold, 
namely,  that  in  which  the  dominion  of  Juda  should  cease. 
This  came  to  pass  exactly  as  foretold,  for,  at  the  time  of 
our  Lord's  birth,  the  foreigner,  Herod,  placed  as  king  over 
the  subjected  people,  ruled  in  Judea.  Jacob  also  prophesied 
that  the  Redeemer  would  be  expected  of  all  nations,  i.  e. 
that  not  only  the  children  of  Abraham,  but  all  the  nations 
would  be  looking  for  Him.     This  also  came  to  pass. 

Conduct  towards  aged  parents.  Joseph  had  always  been 
a  good  son,  and  he  honoured  and  loved  his  father  as  long 
as  he  was  alive,  and  faithfully  carried  out  his  last  wishes. 
His  example  shows  us  that  we  ought  to  support  our  parents 
in  their  old  age;  to  visit  and  comfort  them,  when  they  are 
sick ;  to  be  by  their  side  at  the  hour  of  death ;  to  faithfully 
carry  out  their  last  wishes ;  to  pray  diligently  for  the  repose 
of  their  souls,  and  always  have  a  grateful  remembrance  of 
them.  "Son,  support  the  old  age  of  thy  father,  and  grieve 
him  not  in  thy  life"  (Ecclus.  3,  14). 

The  reward  of  virtue.  Almighty  God  often  visibly  rewards 
virtue,  and  especially  that  which  is  shown  by  children  to 
their  parents.  We  can  see  this  in  the  case  both  of  Joseph 
and  of  Juda.  a)  Joseph  loved  and  honoured  his  father ;  there- 
fore, he  was  blessed  by  God  even  in  this  world.  He  lived  fifty- 
four  years  after  his  father's  death ,  rejoiced  in  his  children 
and  grandchildren,  was  protected  and  enlightened  by  God, 
and  died  a  happy  death,  b)  Next  to  Joseph,  Juda  was  the 
best  of  Jacob's  sons.  He  saved  Joseph  from  death,  saying: 
"It  is  better  he  be  sold  than  that  our  hands  be  defiled,  for 
he  is  our  brother."  He  made  himself  surety  for  Benjamin, 
and  when  Joseph  wished  to  keep  the  latter  as  a  slave,  he 
said:  "I  will  stay,  instead  of  the  boy,  for,  if  he  is  not  with 
us,  we  shall  bring   our  father's  grey  hairs  with  sorrow   to 


THE  LAST  WORDS  OF  JACOB.  139 

the  grave."  Juda  was  rewarded  for  this  generous  conduct, 
for  his  tribe  was  the  dominant  one,  and  of  it  was  born  the 
Saviour.  "Honour  thy  father  in  work  and  word  and  all 
patience.  The  father's  blessing  establisheth  the  houses  of 
children:  but  the  mother's  curse  rooteth  up  the  foundation" 
(Ecclus.  3,  9.  11). 

Happy  death.  Is  not  Jacob's  death  striking  and  beautiful  ? 
Surrounded  by  his  children,  he  gives  his  blessing  to  each 
one,  foretelling  God's  will  concerning  him.  Dying  in  a  strange 
land,  he  fixes  his  mind  on  the  divine  promises ,  and  leaves 
this  world  calm  and  joyous,  solemnly  proclaiming  his  belief 
in  the  coming  Redeemer.  Joseph,  too,  died  a  holy  and  happy 
death,  mourned  by  his  brothers,  children,  grandchildren  and 
great-grandchildren.  He  died  firm  in  the  hope  that  his  people 
would  possess  the  Promised  Land,  and  that,  some  day,  the 
Redeemer  would  come.  Both  Jacob  and  Joseph  had  led 
holy,  God-fearing  lives;  therefore,  they  both  died  happy, 
peaceful  deaths,  firm  in  the  hope  of  the  future  Saviour.  As 
they  lived,  so  they  died.  "  With  him  that  feareth  the  Lord, 
it  shall  go  well  in  the  latter  end,  and  in  the  day  of  his 
death  he  shall  be  blessed"  (Ecclus.  1,  13). 

The  twelve  sons  of  Jacob  were  a  type  of  the  twelve  Apostles.  As  from 
Jacob's  twelve  sons  sprang  the  whole  chosen  people,  even  so,  in  a 
spiritual  way,  have  the  chosen  people  of  the  New  Testament,  the 
faithful,  sprung  from  the  twelve  apostles,  who  converted  both  Jews 
and  Gentiles,  receiving  them  into  the  Church  of  Christ. 

III.  Application. 

If  you  wish  to  die  a  happy  death,  you  must  fear  God  from 
your  youth  upward,  and  pray  diligently  for  the  grace  of  final 
perseverance,  because  this  most  important  of  all  graces  can 
only  be  obtained  by  prayer.  Only  the  foolish  and  cowardly 
hope  for  a  sudden  death.  The  Church  teaches  us  to  pray: 
"From  sudden  and  unprovided  death,  Lord,  deliver  us."  It 
is  a  great  blessing  not  to  die  suddenly,  but  to  watch  death 
approaching  as  Jacob  did,  and  be  able  to  prepare  ourselves 
for  it.  "Holy  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  pray  for  us  sinners, 
now,  and  at  the  hour  of  our  death." 

Some  day  you  will  stand  by  the  death-bed  of  your  father 


140  CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

or  mother.    How  you  will  then  grieve,  if  you  have  caused 
them  sorrow  or  suffering  in  their  life-time! 

Chapter  XXVIII. 

JOB'S  PATIENCE. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

TN  the  time  of  the  patriarchs1,  there  lived  in  Arabia2  a 
man,  whom  God  wished  to  give  to  all  mankind,  and  for 
all  time,  as  a  perfect  model  of  patience.  This  man's  name 
was  Job.  He  had  seven  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  owned 
seven  thousand  sheep,  three  thousand  camels,  five  hundred 
yoke  of  oxen,  five  hundred  she-asses,  and  had  a  great  number 
of  servants 3. 

On  this  account,  and  still  more,  because  of  his  singular 
piety,  he  was  held  in  high  esteem  among  the  people  of  the 
East.  One  day  the  Lord  said  to  Satan:  "Hast  thou  considered 
my  servant  Job  that  there  is  none  like  him  in  earth?" 
Satan,  answering,  said:  "Doth  Job  fear  God  in  vain?  Thou 
hast  blessed  the  work  of  his  hands,  and  his  possession  hath 
increased  on  the  earth.  But  stretch  forth  Thy  hand,  and  take 
away  his  possessions,  then,  Thou  shalt  see  that  he  will  murmur 
against  Thy  providence." 

Then,  the  Lord  said  to  Satan:  "All  that  he  hath  is  in 
thy  hand;  only  put  not  forth  thy  hand  upon  his  person." 
So  it  came  to  pass  upon  one  occasion,  when  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  Job  were  feasting  in  the  house  of  their  eldest 
brother,  a  messenger  came  to  Job,  exclaiming:  "The  oxen 
were  ploughing,  and  the  asses  feeding  beside  them,  and 
the  Sabeans  rushed  in  and  took  all  away,  and  slew  the 
servants  with  the  sword ,  and  I  alone  have  escaped  to 
tell  thee." 

While  he  was  yet  speaking 4,  another  messenger  came  to 
tell  Job  that  fire  fell  from  heaven,  which  struck  the  sheep 
and  the  shepherds,  and  that  he  alone  had  escaped.  Whilst 
he  was  yet  speaking,  there  came  a  third  messenger,  who 
announced  to  Job  that  the  Chaldeans  had  taken  away  his 
camels,  and  slain  the  servants  all  but  himself. 


JOB'S  PATIENCE.  141 

Then  came  a  fourth  messenger,  who,  entering  in,  said 
to  Job:  " Whilst  thy  sons  and  daughters  were  eating  and 
drinking  in  the  house  of  their  elder  brother,  a  violent  wind 
came  on  a  sudden  from  the  side  of  the  desert,  and  shook 
the  four  corners  of  the  house,  and  it  fell 5,  and  crushed  thy 
children,  and  they  are  dead,  and  I  alone  have  escaped  to 
tell  thee." 

Then,  Job  rose  up  and  rent  his  garments6,  and,  having 
shaved  his  head,  fell  down  upon  the  ground  and  worshipped, 
saying:  "The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away. 
As  it  has  pleased  the  Lord,  so  is  it  done.  Blessed  be  the 
name  of  the  Lord."  In  all  these  things  Job  sinned  not  by 
his  lips,  nor  spoke  he  any  foolish  thing  against  God. 

1  This  was  the  name,  given  to  the  founders  of  the  people  of  Israel, 
Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob  and  his  twelve  sons.  Job  lived  during  the  time 
of  the  later  patriarchs,  after  the  death  of  Jacob.  —  2  South-east  of 
the  Dead  Sea  (see  map).  —  3  shepherds,  men-servants  and  maid- 
servants. —  4  Thus  quickly  did  the  disasters  follow,  one  after  the 
other.  —  5  The  beams  gave  way ,  and  the  stones  fell ,  crushing  and 
burying  the  children  of  Job.  —  6  He  did  not  murmur,  but  fell  on 
the  ground  and  adored. 

And  the  Lord  said  to  Satan:  "Hast  thou  considered  my 
servant  Job  that  there  is  none  like  him  in  the  earth?" 
Satan  replied:  "All  that  a  man  hath  will  he  give  for  his 
life;  but  put  forth  Thy  hand,  touch  his  bone  and  his  flesh7, 
and  then,  Thou  shalt  see,  if  he  will  not  curse  Thee." 

The  Lord  said:  "Behold,  he  is  in  thy  hand,  but  yet  save 
his  life."  So  Satan  struck  Job  with  a  most  grievous  ulcer8 
from  the  sole  of  the  foot  even  to  the  top  of  his  head.  And 
Job  sat  on  a  dung-hill  and  scraped  the  ulcerated  matter 
with  a  potsherd.  Then  his  wife 9  came,  not  to  comfort,  but 
rather  to  tempt  him,  for  she  mockingly  said:  "Bless  God 
and  die ! "  10 

But  Job  said  to  her:  "Thou  hast  spoken  like  one  of  the 
foolish  women.  If  we  have  received  good  things  at  the.  hand 
of  God,  why  should  we  not  receive  evil?"  Again,  in  all  these 
things  Job  did  not  sin  with  his  lips  or  his  heart. 

7  To  attack  Job's  health  and  threaten  his  life.  —  8  He  sickened 
suddenly  with  leprosy,  a  loathsome  and  painful  disease.  His  body  was 


142  CHAPTER  XXVIIt. 

covered  with  ulcers,  and  all  men  shunned  him,  on  account  of  the  horror 
and  contagion  of  his  disease.  —  9  Job's  wife  was  so  prostrated  and 
embittered  by  the  loss  of  her  children,  that  she  got  to  doubt  God's 
mercy  and  justice.  All  her  happiness  was  destroyed,  all  her  children 
were  taken  from  her,  so  what  good,  said  she,  was  the  thought  of 
God  to  her!  The  sight  of  her  husband's  patience  was  more  than 
she  could  understand,  or  put  up  with.  By  giving  way  to  such 
feelings,  she  was  obeying  the  suggestions  of  the  devil.  —  10  She 
meant  to  say:  "What  have  you  gained  by  all  your  piety?  Nothing 
remains  for  you  but  to  die  a  miserable  death.  Therefore,  leave  God ! 
Why  should  you  cling  to  Him  who  has  rewarded  your  services  in 
such  a  way ! " 

Now,  when  Job's  three  friends  heard  of  the  evils  that  had 
befallen  him,  they  came  to  visit  him.  When  they  saw  him 
afar  off,  they  knew  him  not,  and,  crying  out,  they  wept,  and 
rending  their  garments,  they  sprinkled  ashes  on  their  heads  u. 
They  sat  with  him  on  the  ground  seven  days  and  seven 
nights,  and  no  man  spoke  to  him  a  word;  for  they  saw 
that  his  grief  was  very  great. 

But,  when  Job  began  at  length  to  complain  of  the  excess 
of  his  misery,  they  reproached  him,  saying  that  secretly  he 
must  have  been  a  great  sinner,  or  the  just  God  would  not 
have  afflicted  him  in  so  grievous  a  manner.  But  Job  loudly 
and  firmly  asserted  his  innocence,  and  consoled  himself  with 
the  hope  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  saying:  "I  know 
that  my  Redeemer  liveth;  and,  in  the  last  day,  I  shall 
rise  out  of  the  earth;  and  I  shall  be  clothed  again  with 
my  skin,  and  in  my  flesh12  I  shall  see  my  God,  whom  I 
myself  shall  see  and  not  another.  This  my  hope  is  laid  up 
in  my  bosom." 

When  they  had  finished  their  reproaches,  the  Lord  revealed 
Himself  in  a  whirlwind  to  Job,  and  mildly  reproved  him, 
because,  in  defending  his  innocence,  he  had  spoken  some 
imprudent  words.  God's  wrath,  however,  was  kindled  against 
the  three  friends,  and  He  commanded  them  to  offer  a  holocaust 
for  themselves,  whilst  Job  should  pray  for  them.  And  the 
Lord  looked  graciously  on  Job's  humility 13,  and  granted  his 
prayers  in  behalf  of  his  friends.  The  Lord  rewarded  Job's 
faith  and  patience,  by  healing  his  body  and  restoring  to  him 


JOB'S  PATIENCE. 


143 


double,  what  he  had  lost.  And  new  sons  and  daughters  were 
born  to  him. 

Job,  practising  virtue  while  happy  and  wealthy,  was  admired 
by  the  angels,  but  he  was  not  yet  feared  by  the  devils; 
but,  when  he  remained  free  from  sin  even  in  the  depths  of 
misery  and  affliction,  then,  the  devils  began  to  tremble  before 
him.  By  this  we  learn  that  wrong,  patiently  endured  for 
God's  sake,  is  the  highest  virtue.  The  friends  of  Job  knew 
not  that  God  sends  afflictions  even  to  His  saints,  to  make 
them  more  holy,  and  give  them  greater  glory  in  heaven. 
Job  also  said  that  he  would  not  live  to  see  the  Saviour 
promised  to  Adam,  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac  and  to  Jacob,  but 
that  he  would  see  Him  on  the  day  of  the  general  resurrection. 
From  Job  we  may,  also,  learn,  how  pleasing  to  God,  and 
how  powerful,  is  the  intercession  of  the  saints. 

11  As  a  sign  of  their  horror,  they  threw  ashes  into  the  air,  so  that 
they  fell  back  on  their  heads.  When  they  began  to  shower  reproaches 
on  him,  he  had  literally  no  human  consolation  left.  Nothing  remained 
to  him  but  the  hope  of  the  future  Saviour,  and  of  the  resurrection  of 
the  body.  —  12  or  my  body.  —  13  and  contrition  for  the  imprudent 
words,  for  which  God  rebuked  him. 


144  CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


II.   Commentary. 


The  sufferings  of  the  just.  The  chief  lesson,  taught  by  the 
history  of  holy  Job,  is  that  God  does  not  send  sufferings 
only  for  the  punishment  and  conversion  of  sinners,  but  also 
as  visitations  to  the  just,  for  the  purpose,  firstly,  of  cleansing 
them  from  their  small  faults  and  imperfections;  secondly, 
of  confirming  them  in  the  virtues  of  confidence,  patience, 
humility  &c. ;  thirdly,  of  enabling  them  to  merit  more,  and, 
therefore,  to  receive  a  higher  reward  in  heaven;  and  lastly, 
of  making  them  shining  examples  for  the  imitation  of  their 
fellow  men. 

All  things  come  from  God.  Job,  first,  lost  all  his  flocks  and 
servants,  then,  all  his  children,  and  lastly,  his  health.  He 
did  not  complain;  all  he  said  was:  "The  Lord  gave;  the 
Lord  taketh  away;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord!"  But 
was  it  God,  Who  took  all  these  things  from  him?  Had  not 
our  enemy,  the  devil,  despoiled  Job,  and  brought  about  all 
the  disasters,  that  we  hear  of?  But  Job  believed  and  knew 
that  nothing  happens  by  chance,  and  that  everything  must 
take  place  by  the  guidance  or  permission  of  God,  so  that, 
in  that  sense,  it  was  God,  Who  had  taken  away  all  that  lie 
had.  Believing  firmly  that  God  had  sent  him  his  sufferings, 
he  resigned  himself  entirely  to  His  holy  will,  and  praised 
Him  in  the  midst  of  his  tribulations. 

Patience  in  suffering  is  the  work  of  faith.  The  trial  of 
holy  Job  was,  indeed,  a  severe  one.  By  almost  one  blow  he 
was  made  poor,  childless,  and  a  leper!  Forsaken  by  all, 
tortured  with  pain,  taunted  and  tempted  by  his  wife,  who 
ought  to  have  consoled  him,  he  sat  on  a  dungheap,  a  very 
man  of  sorrows,  with  nothing  to  look  forward  to  but  a 
painful  death.  Even  the  arrival  of  his  faithful  friends  did 
not  lighten  his  burden,  for  they  heaped  on  him  reproaches 
for  having  brought  these  sufferings  on  himself  by  some  secret 
sin.  He  fully  realized  what  he  suffered,  and  made  it  known 
to  his  friends  by  his  sad  complaints.  He  was  not  callous  to 
his  torments,  but  bore  them  with  exemplary  patience,  without 
a  murmur  against  Almighty  God.  From  whence  did  Job  draw 


JOB'S  PATIENCE.  145 

these  powers  of  heroic  endurance?  In  a  word,  from  his 
strong,  living  faith.  He  looked  forward  to  nothing  in  this 
world  except  to  a  grave,  in  which  to  lay  his  diseased  body  ; 
but  this  made  him  believe  all  the  more  firmly  in  the  promised 
Saviour  and  in  the  future  life.  He  knew  and  proclaimed  that 
his  Redeemer  was  living.  Job  could  not  know  this,  as  he 
had  never  seen  Him;  but  all  the  same  he  believed  it,  and 
also  that  God  Himself  Who  is  eternal,  would  come  as  our 
Saviour.  He  believed,  secondly,  that  he  himself  would  rise 
from  the  earth,  and  with  his  risen  body  would  see  God 
in  heaven. 

Resentment  against  Almighty  God.  Job's  wife  sinned  griev- 
ously against  the  love  of  God.  She  loved  her  children  more 
than  she  loved  God,  and  could  not  resign  herself  to  His 
having  taken  them  all  from  her.  She  listened  to  the  suggestions 
of  Satan,  and  allowed  herself  to  murmur  against  the  ways 
of  God,  and  even  against  God  Himself.  She  also  sinned 
against  the  love  of  her  neighbour;  for  by  her  bitter  scorn 
she  tried  to  move  her  husband  to  renounce  the  service  of 
God,  as  being  that  of  an  unjust  Master. 

Rash  judgment.  Job's  friends  also  sinned.  It  was  kind  of 
them  to  visit  Job  in  his  misery;  but  they  judged  their  friend 
uncharitably  and  without  cause,  reproaching  him  with  having 
some  secret  sin  on  his  conscience,  without  which  God  would 
not  have  visited  him  with  these  tribulations. 

The  invocation  of  Saints.  God  was  angry  with  these  three 
friends,  and  bade  them  offer  sacrifice  and  ask  Job  to  intercede 
for  them.  Thus,  we  can  see  that  it  is  right  and  pleasing  to 
God  to  ask  for  the  intercession  of  the  saints;  and  we  can 
also  see  that  their  intercession  is  efficacious,  for  God  pardoned 
Job's  friends  because  he  prayed  for  them. 

Satan's  power  is  limited.  We  see  by  the  story  of  Job  that  Satan 
dan  injure  us,  only  so  far  as  God  allows  it.  Under  the  Old  Law  the 
devil  had  more  power  over  men  than  he  has  now,  for  under  the  New 
Law  Jesus  Christ  has  crushed  the  head  of  the  devil,  and  the  suggestions 
of  the  evil  enemy  can  hurt  no  one  who  clings  to  our  Lord.  Therefore, 
in  her  exorcisms,  and  in  the  blessing  of  creatures  (as  for  instance 
of  water),  the  Church  prays  our  Divine  Saviour  to  protect  us  against 
the  attacks  of  Satan. 
Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  7 


146  CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Job,  the  seventh  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Job,  suffering  the  most  profound 
grief  of  soul ,  seeing  nothing  but  a  miserable  death  before  him ,  and 
robbed  of  all  human  consolation ,  fell  down  on  the  ground  ,  praying 
and  humbly  resigning  himself  to  God's  will.  In  this  he  is  a  type  of 
our  Lord  in  the  Garden  of  Gethsemani. 

III.  Application. 

Job  was  not  a  Christian,  and  was  unable  to  picture  to 
himself  the  sufferings  of  God  made  Man;  yet,  how  patient 
and  resigned  he  was  in  the  midst  of  his  great  trials!  But 
you  are  a  Christian,  and  in  spite  of  being  so  you  are  often 
impatient,  and  incessantly  complain  and  bemoan  yourself 
when  anything  goes  wrong.  Resolve  for  the  future  to  look 
on  all  troubles  as  visitations  from  God;  offer  them  up  to 
God,  and  bear  them  patiently,  resigning  yourself  entirely 
to  God's  will.  In  all  times  of  adversity  you  should,  like 
Job,  praise  God,  and  say  with  our  Lord:  "Father,  not  my 
will,  but  Thine  be  done!" 


THE  AGE  OF  MOSES. 

From    the    year    1500—14.50    B.   C. 


G 


Chapter  XXIX. 
THE  BIRTH  OF  MOSES. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 
OD  had  made  two  promises  to  the  patriarchs  Abraham, 


T  Isaac  and  Jacob :  first,  that  they  should  be  the  fathers 
of  a  great  nation;  second,  that  the  Saviour  would  be  a 
descendant  of  theirs.  The  first  promise  was  now  fulfilled. 
In  the  space  of  two  hundred  years  the  descendants  of  Jacob 
in  Egypt  had  become  a  great  people.  In  the  meantime  a 
new  king  had  arisen1,  who  said  to  the  Egyptians:  "Behold, 
the  children  of  Israel2  are  stronger  than  we.  Come,  let  us 
oppress  them,  lest  they  join  with  our  enemies  and  depart 
out  of  the  land." 

Now,  the  Egyptians  hated  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
mocked  them  and  made  their  life  bitter  with  hard  works  in 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MOSES. 


147 


brick  and  clay.  And  the  king  placed  overseers3  over  them, 
to  oppress  them  with  labour.  But  the  more  they  were 
oppressed,  the  more  numerous  they  became.  The  king,  seeing 
this,  issued  a  decree  that  all  the  male  children,  born  of 
Hebrew  parents,  should  be  cast  into  the  river4;  hoping,  by 
this  means,  either  to  destroy  the  Hebrew  people,  or,  at 
least,  to  prevent  their  increasing  in  number. 

Now,  it  came  to  pass  that  a  Hebrew  mother  bore  a  son, 
and,  seeing  that  he  was  very  beautiful,  she  hid  him  for 
three  months.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  not  being  able  to 
keep  him  any  longer  5 ,  she  laid  the  babe  in  a  basket  of  reeds 
and  placed  it  in  the  sedges 6  by  the  river's  bank.  The  sister 
of  the  child  stood  a  little  way  off,  to  see  what  would  happen. 

1  "Who  knew  not  Joseph",  and  did  not  care  to  remember  the 
services  he  had  rendered  to  Egypt.  —  2  They  took  this  name  from 
Jacob's  second  name,  Israel.  —  3  or  task-masters,  thus  called  because 
they  forced  the  Israelites  to  labour,  and  make  great  houses,  dams, 
canals  and  monuments.  —  4  the  Nile.  —  5  The  king  had  given  orders 
that  the  houses  of  the  Israelites  should  be  searched  from  time  to 
time.  —  6  or  bulrushes.  She  did  this  in  order  that  the  floating 
basket  might  not  be  carried  down  the  river  by  the  current. 

7* 


148  CHAPTER  XXIX. 

And  behold,  at  that  time  the  daughter  of  Pharao  went 
down  to  bathe  in  the  Nile.  Seeing  the  basket  amongst  the 
bulrushes  by  the  river-bank,  the  princess  sent  one  of  her 
maids  to  bring  it  to  her.  On  opening  it,  they  saw  within 
it  a  lovely  infant,  crying  piteously.  She  had  compassion 
on  it,  and  said:  "This  is  one  of  the  babes  of  the  Hebrews." 
The  child's  sister7  then,  taking  courage,  drew  near  and 
asked:  "Shall  I  go  and  call  to  thee  a  Hebrew  woman  to 
nurse  the  babe?"  She  answered:  "Go!"  The  maid  went 
and  called  her  mother. 
^  KWhen  the  mother  came,  the  princess  said  to  her :  "  Take 
this  child  and  nurse  him  for  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  wages." 
The  woman  then  took  the  child  and  nursed  him.  And  when 
he  was  grown  up,  he  was  brought  to  Pharao's  daughter, 
who  adopted  him  as  her  own 8,  and  called  him  Moses,  which 
means  rescued  from  the  waters.  Moses,  saved  in  his  infancy 
from  the  cruelty  of  Pharao,  is  a  type  of  Jesus,  rescued, 
also,  in  His  infancy  from  the  power  of  Herod. 

7  By  name,  Mary.  —  8  She  clothed  him ,  educated   him ,  and   had 

him  altogether  treated,  as  if  he  were  her  own  son. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Wisdom  of  Divine  Providence.  God  destined  Moses  to 
be  the  deliverer  of  His  chosen  people.  Pharao's  cruel  com- 
mand to  drown  all  the  baby  boys  of  the  Israelites  could 
not  nullify  what  He  had  decreed.  On  the  contrary,  it  served, 
under  His  guidance,  for  the  accomplishment  of  His  designs ; 
-f  for  Moses,  being  brought  up  in  the  king's  court,  was  educated 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  Egyptians,  and  was  thus  prepared  for 
his  high  vocation  of  leader  and   deliverer  of  God's  people. 

The  uses  of  tribulation.  God  permitted  the  Israelites  to 
be  oppressed,  in  order  that  they  might  begin  to  yearn  for  the 
^.Promised  Land  and  the  future  Saviour,  and  might  keep  aloof 
from  the  Egyptians.  All  our  various  troubles  in  this  life 
ought  to  detach  our  hearts  from  earthly  things,  and  turn 
>ithem  towards  heaven  and  eternity.  If  earth  were  a  paradise, 
who  would  long  for  heaven? 

The  love  of  parents  for  their  children.     If  it  had   been 
discovered  that  Moses's  parents  had  hidden  away  a  son,  they 


THE  FLIGHT  OF  MOSES.  149 

would  have  been  severely  punished,  and  most  likely  put  to 
death.  Parents  are  willing  to  expose  themselves  to  a  great 
deal  of  danger  for  the  sake  of  their  children. 

The  confidence  in  God,  shown  by  Moses's  parents.  They  did 
what  they  could  to  save  the  child,  and  prayed,  full  of  con- 
fidence, to  God  to  help  them.  Their  confidence  was  not 
misplaced.  He  who  trusts  in  God  builds  on  a  sure  foundation. 

Compassion.  The  king's  daughter  was  a  pagan,  and  yet,  she 
had  a  kind,  compassionate  heart.  How  much  more  compassion 
ought  we  Christians  to  show!  " Blessed  are  the  merciful,  forA 
they  shall  obtain  mercy."  The  Society  of  the  Holy  Childhood 
is  an  example  of  what  can  be  done.  By  means  of  it,  heathen 
children  are  saved  from  death,  baptized  and  brought  up  as 
Christians. 

III.  Application. 

God  has  preserved  you,  too,  from  many  a  danger.  In  order 
to  save  your  soul,  God  has,  so  to  speak,  made  you  pass 
through  the  waters  of  Baptism,  and  has  adopted  you  to  be 
the  child  of  the  Most  High  King.  "Behold,  what  manner  of 
love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  on  us"  (1  John  3,  1).  You 
are,  therefore,  another  Moses.  Serve  God,  then,  as  faithfully 
as  Moses  served  Him. 

Chapter  XXX. 
THE   FLIGHT   OF  MOSES. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

MOSES  was  reared  at  the  court  of  Pharao,  and  instructed 
in  all  the  learning  of  Egypt.  But  when  he  was  grown 
up  and  saw  the  misery  of  his  people,  the  Hebrews,  he  resolved 
to  help  them.  For  he  would  rather  be  afflicted  and  despised 
with  the  people  of  God,  than  live  in  the  palace  of  a  wicked 
king.  He  left  the  splendour  of  the  court1,  and  openly  ., 
declared  himself  a  friend  of  the  Israelites2. 

The  king,  hearing  this,  sought  to  kill  him;  but  Moses 
fled  to  the  land  of  Madian3.  On  his  way  he  sat  down  by 
a  well,  and  behold,  the  seven  daughters  of  Jethro  came  to 
draw  water  for  their  flocks.   But  when  the  sheep  stood  near 


150  CHAPTER  XXX. 

the  troughs,  some  shepherds  rushed  in  and  rudely  drove  away 
j  the  flock.     Thereupon  Moses  arose,  defended  the   maidens, 
and  watered  their  sheep. 

Then  the  sisters  went  home,  and  their  father  asked: 
"Why  have  ye  returned  sooner  than  usual?"  They  answered: 
"A  man  of  Egypt  drove  away  the  shepherds,  and  gave  our 
sheep  to  drink."  Jethro  asked  again:  "Where  is  he?  Call 
him  that  he  may  eat  bread."  So  Moses  entered  the  house 
and  swore  to  dwell  with  Jethro,  and  remained  for  forty 
years  *,  and  married  Sephora,  one  of  the  daughters  of  Jethro. 
t  Moses,  despising  the  splendour  of  Egypt  in  order  to  com- 
fort the  Jews,  is  a  figure  of  the  Son  of  God,  Who  came  down 
from  heaven,  was  born  in  a  stable,  and  laid  in  a  manger, 
to  redeem  us  from  the  flames  of  hell. 

1  He  left  the  king's  court,  when  he  was  forty  years  old.  —  2  and 
did   what   he   could   to   defend   them   against   the   oppression   of  the 

^Egyptians.  —  3  This  land  was  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Mount  Sinai. 

*^The  inhabitants  of  this  district  were  descended  from  Abranam ,  "and 
had  kept  their  faith  in  the  true  God.  It  is  well  to  distinguish  between 
them  and  the  heathen  Madianites,  who  lived  further  east  (see  map). 
—  4  During  that  time  Moses  lived  a  simple  and  solitary  life.  He 
prayed  fervently  to  God,  especially  for  the  deliverance  of  his  people; 
he  practised  humility  and  self-denial,  and  learnt  the  ways  of  the 
wilderness,  thus  preparing  himself  for  his  calling. 

II.  Commentary. 
v  Steadfast  faith.  Moses,  while  living  at  home  with  his  parents, 
had  been  taught  to  believe  in  the  true  God,  and  the  promised 
Redeemer.  When  he  left  home,  he  went  to  live  at  the  king's 
court,  and  was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  pagans.  Still  he 
«k  preserved  the  true  faith,  taught  to  him  as  a  boy,  and  remained 
firm  in  the  worship  of  the  one  true  God.  When  he  was  a 
man,  he  preferred  to  be  poor  and  persecuted,  rather  than 
rich  and  honoured,  and  yet  unable  to  help  his  brethren  in 
the  faith.  He,  therefore,  left  the  pagan  court,  and  joined 
his  oppressed  countrymen. 
j.         The  blessings  of  solitude.   It  was  in  his  solitude  that  God  appeared 

to  Moses.     God  is  to  be  found,  not  in  the  turmoil  of  the  world,  but 

in  solitude.   There  He  speaks  to  our  hearts,  and  there  we  can  speak 
jbo  Him.    He  who  is  always  in  society,  must  be  distracted,  and  cannot 

pray  well.     All  the  saints   loved  solitude,  and  sought  it  out,  so  that 


THE  BURNING  BUSH.  151 

they  might  be  alone  with  God.   St.  Bernard  praised  it  in  these  words : 
"  0  blessed  solitude !   0  sole  blessedness !  " 

III.  Application. 

0,  may  you,  when  you  grow  up,  be  as  steadfast  in  faith 
as  Moses  was,  and  never  forget  or  deny  that  Christian  teaching, 
which  you  are  now  receiving  in  your  youth.  Pray  for  stead- 
fastness and  perseverance  in  the  holy  Catholic  faith!  a. 

Cannot  you  sometimes  contrive  to  be  alone  for  a  few 
minutes ,  imitating  in  this  St.  Aloysius ,  who  used  to  retire 
into  some  corner  of  his  father's  house,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  pray  undisturbed? 

Chapter  XXXI. 
THE  BURNING  BUSH. 

1.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

OW,  Moses  fed  the  sheep  of  Jethro,  his  father-in-law. 


N 


One  day  he  drove  his  flock  into  the  desert 1,  and  came 
as  far  as  Mount  Horeb2.  There  the  Lord  appeared  to  him 
in  a  flame  of  fire,  which  issued  from  the  midst  of  a  bush. 
Moses  saw  that  the  bush  was  on  fire  and  was  not  burnt8. 
He  said:  "I  will  go  near  to  see  why  the  bush  is  not  burnt." 
As  Moses  drew  near,  the  Lord  cried  out  to  him  from  the 
burning  bush:  "Moses,  Moses!"  And  he  answered:  "Here  I 
am."  And  God  said:  "Come  not  nigh  hither.  Put  off  the 
shoes  from  thy  feet4;  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest 
is  holy  ground 5.  I  am  the  God  of  thy  father ,  the  God  of 
Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob." 

Moses,  in  awful  reverence,  hid6  his  face,  and  dared  not 
look  at  God.  The  Lord  said  to  him:  "I  have  seen  the 
affliction  of  My  people  in  Egypt 7,  and  I  am  come  to  deliver 
them  out  of  the  hands 8  of  the  Egyptians,  and  to  bring  them 
out  of  that  land  into  a  land,  that  floweth  with  milk  and 
honey."9  The  Lord  further  told  Moses  that  he  should  go 
to  Pharao  to  demand  the  liberation  of  the  children  of  Israel. 
Moses  answered:  "Who  am  I  that  I  should  go  to  Pharao, 
and  should  bring  forth  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt?"10 
The  Lord  said:  "I  will  be  with  thee."11 


152  CHAPTER  XXXI. 

1  An  uninhabited  and  sterile  country,  stony  and  sandy,  in  which 
grass  and  shrubs  grew  only  here  and  there.  —  2  which  was  part 
of  Mount  Sinai.  —  3  The  fire  was  supernatural,  not  natm-aF  —  4  Tn*e 
removal  of  shoes,  or  sandals,  was  a  mark  of  reverence.  The  Jewish 
priests  had  to  be  bare-footed,  when  serving  in  the  sanctuary.  — 
5  because  God  had  manifested  Himself  there.  —  e  or  covered  it  (see 
picture).  —  7  and  heard  their  cry  for  help  and  deliverance.  —  8  or 
from  the  power  of  the  Egyptians.  —  9  such  a  rich,  fertile  land  that 
milk  and  honey  are  produced  from  it.  —  10  How  can  I,  a  poor 
shepherd,  undertake  such  a  great  work?  — '  n  "I  will  protect  you 
and  stand  by  you." 

Moses  declared12  that  the  people  would  not  believe  him, 
but  would  ask,  who  sent  him13.  Then,  God  said  to  Moses: 
J\" I  am  Who  amu.  Thus  shalt  thou  say  to  the  children  of 
Israel:  'He  who  is,  hath  sent  me  to  youV  Moses  answered 
and  said:  "They  will  not  believe  me,  nor  hear  my  voice; 
but  they  will  say:  'The  Lord  hath  not  appeared  to  thee'."15 
Then,  God  asked  Moses:  "What  is  it  that  thou  holdest  in 
thy  hand?"  Moses  answered:  "A  rod."16  The  Lord,  then, 
told  Moses  to  cast  his  rod  upon  the  ground.  He  threw  it 
upon  the  ground,  and  the  rod  was  turned  into  a  serpent, 
so  that  Moses  fled  from  it  in  terror. 

But  the  Lord  called  him  back,  saying:  "Take  it  by  the 
tail."  Moses  did  so,  and  the  serpent  became  again  a  rod. 
The  Lord  told  Moses  to  work  this  and  some  other  signs 
before  the  Israelites,  and  they  would  believe.  But  Moses 
still  objected17,  saying  that  he  was  not  eloquent,  but  that 
his  speech  was  slow  and  hesitating18. 

v  Then,  the  Lord  said  to  him:  "Who  made  man's  mouth? 
Or,  who  made  the  dumb  and  the  deaf,  the  seeing  and  the 
blind?  Did  not  I?19  Go,  therefore,  and  I  will  teach  thee 
what  thou  shalt  speak."  Moses  answered20:  "I  beseech  Thee, 
Lord,  send  whom  Thou  wilt  send." 21  The  Lord,  being  angry 
with  Moses22,  said:  "Aaron,  thy  brother,  is  eloquent;  speak  to 
him,  and  put  my  words  into  his  mouth ;  he  shall  speak,  in  thy 
stead,  to  the  people." 23  So  Moses  returned  to  Egypt;  and  Aaron, 
his  brother,  inspired  by  the  Lord,  came  forth  to  meet  him. 

Moses  repeated  to  his  brother  all  the  words  of  the  Lord. 
Then,  they  went  together  to  assemble  the  children  of  Israel; 


THE  BURNING  BUSH. 


153 


and  Aaron  spoke  to  them  that  the  Lord  had  looked  upon 
their  affliction.  And  Moses  wrought  the  sign  of  the  rod, 
and  other  miracles,  whereupon  the  people  believed24;  and, 
falling  down,  they  adored  the  Lord 25.  + 

As  the  people  of  Israel  would  not  have  believed  that 
God  had  sent  Moses  to  free  them  from  slavery,  but  for  the 
miracles  he  wrought;  so  we  should  not  receive  any  one  as 
sent  by  God,  in  a  special  manner,  except  he  prove  his 
mission  by  signs  and  miracles. 

12  Moses  made  a  second  objection.  —  l3  Why  would  they  ask 
this?  In  order  to  prove,  whether  it  were  the  true  God,  who  had 
appeared  to  him.  —  u  I  am  He  who  exists  of  Himself.  —  15  This 
is  the  third  time  that  Moses  raised  an  objection.  —  ,6  his  shepherd's 
staff.  This  staff ,  consecrated  by  these  miracles ,  was  to  be  the  sign 
of  Moses's  leadership  of  the  people.  —  n  for  the  fourth  time.  — 
18  and  he  would  be  unable  to  act  as  spokesman.  —  19  Am  I  not  He 
who  gave  the  gift  of  speech  to  man?  Cannot  I  make  thee  eloquent? 
—  20  Although  the  Lord  had  answered  his  four  previous  objections, 
Moses  still  could  not  resign  himself  completely  to  the  will  of  God,  and 
made  a  fifth  objection.  —  21  Send  the  Redeemer !  Send  Him  at  once 
that  He  may  deliver  Thy  people !  —  22  because  he  would  not  submit 


154  CHAPTER  XXXI. 

to  His  will.  —  2S  Tell  him  all  that  I  have  said ,  and  he  will  tell  it 
to  the  people.  —  2i  that  Moses  was  sent  by  God.  —  25  Had  they 
not  prayed  to  God  before  ?  Yes,  indeed ;  but  now,  they  thanked  Him 
for  having  mercy  on  them,  and  for  sending  a  liberator  to  them. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  Attributes  of  God.  This  story  reveals  God  to  us  in 
a  wonderful  way.     It  shows  us  that: 

1.  God  is  eternal.  "I  am  Who  am!"  God  exists  of  Himself . 
He  has  His  being  of  Himself.  He  is  Who  is,  and  was,  and  is 
to  be.    He  alone  is  eternal..  All  else  has  been  made  by  Him. 

2.  God  is  unchanging.  His  command :  Thou  shalt  bring  My 
people  out  of  Egypt,  could  not  be  altered  by  any  hesitations 
or  objections  on  the  part  of  Moses. 

+  3.  God  is  omniscient.  "I  have  seen  the  affliction  of  My 
people,  and  heard  their  cry."  —  "Do  these  signs,  and  they 
will  believe." 

4.  God  is  almighty.  "Who  made  the  dumb  and  the  deaf; 
the  seeing  and  the  blind?  Did  not  I?"  God's  power  was 
also  proved  by  the  miracles  of  the  rod  &c. 
>  5.  God  is  holy.  "The  Lord  was  angry  with  Moses",  i.  e. 
He  showed  His  displeasure  with  Moses,  for  having  so  little 
confidence,  and  for  making  so  many  objections. 

6.  God  is  merciful.  "  I  will  deliver  them  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  Egyptians." 

>  7.  God  is  faithful.  He  fulfilled  that  which  He  promised  to 
Jacob:  "I  will  bring  thee  and  thy  seed  back  from  Egypt." 

Tlie  object  of  miracles.  Moses  was  the  first  of  those  sent 
by  God,  who  received  the  power  of  working  miracles;  and, 
as  we  are  told,  the  object  of  these  miracles  was  that  the 
children  of  Israel  might  believe.  How  much  more,  then, 
ought  we  to  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  Who  worked  so  many 
more,  and  much  greater  miracles,  than  did  Moses!  The 
difference  between  our  Lord's  miracles  and  those  of  Moses 
is  this,  that  Moses  wrought  them  by  the  power  of  God ;  and 
our  Lord  by  His  own  power. 

Humility  y  and  confidence  in  God.  One  of  Moses's  most 
prominent  virtues  was  a  sincere  humility.  He  held  himself 
to  be  neither  capable  nor  worthy  of  the  great  task,  allotted 


THE  TEN  PLAGUES  OF  EGYPT.  155 

to  him  by  God.  But  it  was  just  on  account  of  his  humility 
that  God  chose  him  to  be  the  leader  of  His  chosen  people, 
for  He  "exalteth  the  humble,  and  abaseth  the  proud". 
Moses,  however,  failed,  by  giving  way  to  so  many  hesitations. 
After  God  had  said:  "I  will  be  with  thee",  he  ought  to 
have  said,  as  St.  Paul  did:  "I  can  do  all  things  in  Him  who 
strengtheneth  me"  (Phil.  4,  13).  Instead  of  that,  he  made 
more  and  more  objections,  and,  on  account  of  this,  Almighty 
God  reproached  and  blamed  him.  At  last,  however,  he  obeyed 
God's  commands,  and,  full  of  the  utmost  confidence,  he  ac- 
complished his  appointed  task  splendidly.  True  humility, 
distrusts  itself,  but  trusts  all  the  more  in  God. 

III.  Application.  + 

You  are  not  called  on  to  take  off  your  shoes,  when  you 
enter  a  church;  but  you  are  called  on  to  leave  all  worldly, 
thoughts  outside.    You  are  not  obliged  to  cover  your  eyes,  I 
but  you  ought   to  hold  them  in  check,  and   be  recollected, 
and  not  look  about  you  curiously. 

Chapter  XXXII. 
THE  TEN  PLAGUES  OF  EGYPT. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

MOSES  and  Aaron  went  to  Pharao,  and  demanded;  in 
the  name  of  God,  that  he  should  allow  the  people  of 
Israel  to  go  out  into  the  desert  to  offer  sacrifice  to  the  Lord. 
Pharao  proudly  answered:  "Who  is  the  Lord  that  I  should,, 
hear  His  voice  *,  and  let  the  people  go  ?  I  know  not  the  Lord, 
neither  will  I  let  Israel  go."  And  from  that  day  forth,  he 
ordered  the  overseers  and  taskmasters  to  oppress  the  Israelites 
more  and  more,  by  putting  them  to  still  harder  work. 

The  Lord  told  Moses  and  Aaron  to  appear  again  before 
Pharao.  They  did,  as  the  Lord  commanded,  and  Aaron  cast 
his  rod  before  Pharao,  and  it  was  changed  into  a  serpent. 
Pharao  called  the  magicians,  and  they,  by  enchantments  and 
certain  secrets2,  also  turned  their  rods  into_ serpents ;  but 
Aaron's  rod   devoured  their  rods.    Yet  the  heart  of  Pharao 


156  CHAPTER  XXXII. 

remained   hardened3,  and  he  would  not   let  the  people  go. 
Then,  the  Lord  sent  tenplagues  upon  the  Egyptians*. 

-f/   Next  morning,  Aaron  went,  by  the  command  of  God,  to 
y    the   barn?  of  the  Nile,  and   struck  the  river  with   his  rod, 

^  and  instantly  it  was  turned  into  JWoocL  Thereupon  the  fish 
died,  the  water  was  corrupted,  and  the  water  of  all  the 
streams  and  ponds  in  Egypt  was  turned  into  blood.  And 
the  Egyptians  dug  new  wells  round  about  the  river;  for 
they  could  not  drink  the  water  of  the  river.  Even  then,  the 
heart  of  Pharao  did  not  relent. 
.    After  seven  days,  Aaron  stretched  forth  his  hand  Over  the 

/  rivers  and  streams  and  pools  of  Egypt,  and  immediately  a 
multitude  of  frogs,  came  forth  from  the  waters,  and  covered 
the  whole  land  of  Egypt.    They  entered  the  houses  and  the 

Jovens,  and  covered  the  tables  and  the  beds,  and  spared 
neither  the  hut  of  the  peasant  nor  the  palace  of  the  king. 
Then  Pharao,  being  frightened,  called  for  Moses  and  Aaron, 
and  said  to  them:  "Pray  ye  the  Lord  to  take  away  the 
irogs  from  me,  and  from  my  people,  and  I  will  let  the 
people  go  to  sacrifice  to  the  Lord."  Moses  did,  as  the 
king  desired,  and  the  frogs  disappeared. 

But,  when  Pharao  saw  that  the  frogs  were  gone,  he 
hardened  his  heart  again.  Then,  Aaron  was  commanded  by 
God  to  strike  with  his  rod  the  dust  of  the  earth ;  and  instantly 
myriads  of  gnats  arose,  and  tormented  both  men  and  beasts 
throughout  all  Egypt.  All  the  dust  of  the  earth  was  turned 
into  gnats.    But  Pharao's  heart  remained  obdurate. 

1  "I  do  not  know  your  God,  and  "will  not  be  commanded  by  Him." 
Pharao,  in  his  pride,  would  not  acknowledge  God  to  be  the  Lord. 
Therefore,  God  sent  the  ten  plagues,  to  compel  Pharao  and  his  people 
to  admit  that  He  is  Lord  over  the  whole  earth.  —  2  They  worked 
apparent  miracles  by  arts,  known  only  to  themselves,  and  by  the 
help  of  the  devil.  —  3  He  was  stubborn  like  the  firmly  rooted  trunk 
^  or  stump  of  a  tree.  —  4  The  plagues  were  sent  through  the  medium 
of  Moses  and  Aaron,  who,  in  God's  name,  commanded  the  very 
elements  and  powers  of  nature,  and  they  obeyed. 

Then,  the  Lord  sent  a  very  grievous  swarm  of,  fliesjnto 
the  houses  of  Pharao  and  his  servants,  and  the  whole  land 
was  corrupted  by  them.    Then,  Pharao's  heart  began  to  fail, 


THE  TEN  PLAGUES  OF  EGYPT. 


157 


and  he  said  to  Moses  and  Aaron:   "I  will  let  you  go  to, 
sacrifice   to   the  Lord  your  God   in  the  wilderness;   but  go 
no  further.  Pray  for  me."    But  when  God,  at  the  prayer  of 
Moses,   had   banished  the   flies,  Pharao's   heart   grew  hard 
again,  and  he  refused  to  let  the  people  go. 

>■/  Then ,  God  sent  a  plague  on  the  cattle ,  which  destroyed 
the  best  part  of  the  'flocksand  herds  of  the  Egyptians,  but 
spared  those  of  the  Israelites.  Still  Pharao  would  not  submit. 
Then,  Moses  was  ordered  by  God  to  take  handfuls  of  ashes 
from  the  chimney  and  sprinkle  it  in  the  air  in  the  presence 
•of  Pharao.    Forthwith  the  Egyptians  were  covered  with  boils 

^and  swelling  blains.  But  even  this  did  not  soften  Pharao's  hearth 

-*  /Then  again,  Moses  stretched  forth  his  rod  towards  heaven, 
/and  the  Lord  sent   down  thunder^andlmil ,  and  lightning, 

"  running  along  the  ground;  anTTtnenail ,  mixed  with  fire, 
drove  on,  and  smote  every  herb  of  the  field  and  every  tree 
of  the  country,  and  killed  every  man  and  beast,  that  were 

>  in  the  open  fields.    None  of  it  fell,  however,  in  the  land  of 

Gessen,  where  the  children  of  Israel  dwelt.     Pharao  called 

xMoses  and  Aaron,  and  said:  "I  have  sinned  this  time  also. 

Pray  ye  the  Lord  that  the   thunder  may  cease,  and   that 

I  may  let  you  go."   But  when,  at  the  prayer  of  Moses,  the 


158  CHAPTER  XXXII. 

hail  had  ceased,  the  king  broke  his  promise,  and  his  heart 
became  exceedingly  hard. 

Then,  the  Lord  sent  a  burning  wind,  which  blew  all  that 

j?yday  and  night ;  and  in  the^morning,  the  locusts  came 5,  and 
they  covered  the  whole  face  of  the  e^rSi^anol  wasted  all 
things,  devouring  the  grass  of  the  earth,  and  whatever  fruits 
the  hail  had  left;  and  there  remained  not  anything  that 
was  green,  either  on  the  trees,  or  in  the  herbs  in  all  Egypt. 
Therefore,  Pharao  in  haste  called  Moses  and  Aaron,  saying : 

^  i" Forgive  me  my  sin  this  time  also,  and  pray  to  the  Lord 
your  God  that  He  take  away  from  me  this  death."  Moses 
prayed  to  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  sent  a  very  strong  wind 
from  the  west,  which  took  the  locusts,  and  threw  them  into 
the  Red  Sea.  This  time,  again,  Pharao  hardened  his  heart. 
Then,   Moses   stretched   forth   his   hand  towards  heaven, 

g  and  there  came  a  hombbdarkness  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt 

*VTor  three  days.  No  mansawmsbrother,  nor  moved  himself 
out  of  the  place ,  where  he  was  6.  But  where  the  children 
$  of  Israel  dwelt,  there  was  light.  Then,  Pharao  called  Moses 
^and  Aaron,  saying:  "Go,  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  —  let  your 
sheep  only  and  your  herds  remain."  Moses  answered:  "All 
the  flocks  shall  go  with  us."  Thereupon  the  king  hardened 
his  heart  again,  and  would  not  let  the  people  go.  Moreover 
.he  said  to  Moses:  "Get  thee  from  me.  In  what  day  soever 
thou  shalt  come  into  my  sight,  thou  shalt  die."  Moses  replied: 
"I  will  not  see  thy  face  any  more." 

5  A  horribly  dense  swarm  of  creatures,  something  like  grasshoppers, 

but  three  or  four  inches  long,  passed  over  the  land,  devouring  every 

thing  green,  on  which   they   settled.    —    e  In  the  Book   of  Wisdom 

(17,  2  &c.)  this  terrible  darkness   is  thus  described:  "For  while  the 

wicked  (Egyptians)  thought   to    have  dominion  over  the  holy  nation, 

♦  Thou  didst  fetter  them  with  the  bonds  of  darkness  and  a  long  night, 

ishut  up  in   their   own   houses.     No   power   of  fire   could   give   them 

•light,  neither   could   the   bright   flames   of  the   stars   enlighten   that 

horrible  night.     For  if  any  one  were  a  husbandman,  or   a   shepherd, 

or  a  labourer  in  the  field,  and  was  suddenly  overtaken,  he  endured 

a  necessity,  from  which  he   could  not  fly.     For  they  were  all  bound 

together  in   one  chain  of  darkness."     The  darkness,  being  the  effect 

of  a   miracle,    and  meant  to   serve   as   a   plague,  was   more   dense 

than  the  darkest  night. 


THE  TEN  PLAGUES  OF  EGYPT.  159 

II.  Commentary. 

The  object  of  theplagues.   with   which   God   visited   the 
EgyptiansT^iv^^  plagues,  which  devastated 

Egypt,  while  they  did  not  touch  the  land  of  Gessen,  were 
sent  ^rstly ,  to  teach  Pharao  and  his  people  that  the  God 
of  Israel  was  also  Lord  over^EgynJb,  and  the  one  true  and 
Almighty  God.^econdly,  to  convert  the  haughty  king,  and 
force  him  to  T&ey  the  commandments  of  God. 4 Thirdly,  to 
nunish  Pharao  and  his  people  for  their  unreasonable  idolatry, 
and  their  cruel  oppression  of  the  people  of  God.  The  Egyp- 
tians worshipped  the  Nile  as  a  god,  and  now,  destruction  was 
brought  upon  them  by  means  of  it.  Disease  killed  their  cattle, 
which  were  objects  of _ their  worship;  and  lower  creatures, 
such  as  gnats,  flies  and  locusts,  inflicted  torments  on  them. 
Thus,  they  were  punished  by  the  very  things  through  which 
they  sinned,  fourthly,  the  plagues  were  sent  to  teach  the 
pagans  that  the  gods,  whom  they  worshipped,  were  vain  and/ 
powerjess,  for,  however  earnestly  they  appealed  to  them,  they 
"hcould  obtain  no  help  from  them.'y^ifthly,  they  were  intended 
to  confirm  the  Israelites  in  their  belief  in  the  one  true  God ; 
in  confidence  in  Him,  who  protected  them  in  such  a  wonderful 
way;   and  to  fill  their  hearts  with  gratitude  towards  Him. 

The  Justice  and  Patience  of  God.  By  these  ten  plagues, 
Almighty  God  not  only  manifested  His  terrible  justice,  but 
also  His  merciful  patience. jf'He  sent  the  first  plague,  only 
after  the  miracles,  worked  before  Pharao,  had  produced  no 
effectTThe  plagues  gradually  succeeded  each  other,  beginning 
by  those  which  were  less,  and,  when  these  availed  nothing, 
becoming  more  and  more  dreadful.  Moreover,  they  did  not 
follow  each  other  day  after  day,  but  between  each  plague 
there  was  an  interval  of  days,  sometimes  of  weeks. 
^npemtence^PhaxsiO  is  a  warning  example  of  impenitence 
aTuTobauracy.  God  did  not  warn  him  only  outwardly,  by 
Moses's  words  and  by  the  ten  plagues,  butjalso  inwardly, 
by  His  grace.  But  Pharao  would  neither  listen  to  the  ad- 
monitions of  God,  nor  obey  the  movements  of  divine  grace, 
and  thus,  by  rendering  himself  unworthy  of  further  graces, 
he,  at  last,  became  quite  hardened.    Once  or  twice  he  made 


V_ 


160  CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

good  resolutions  about  letting  God's  people  go,  but,  as  soon 
as  the  pressure  of  necessity  was  removed,  he  did  not  keep 
them/yGod  foretold  to  him  the  last  and  worst  plague  some 
fourteen  days  before  it  was  sent,  and  would,  in  His  mercy, 
have  spared Tharao  and  his  people  this  last  terrible  visitation, 
if  only  he  would  have  consented  to  let  the  Israelites  go. 
Pharao,  however,  despised  the  divine  warning  as  an  empty 
threat,  and  remained  hardened.  He  is  the  type  of  a  defiant 
sinner,  who  will  not  listen  to  any  exhortations,  does  not 
carry  out  good  resolutions,  perseveres  in  sin,  and  finally 
becomes  quite  hardened. 

III.  Application. 

Are  you  at  all  like  Pharao  ?  Do  you  pay  attention  to  the 
admonitions  of  your  parents,  confessor  &c.  ?  Have  you  made 
good  resolutions  with  your  lips  only,  or  have  you  taken  real 
pains  to  give  up  your  bad  habits?  Have  you  ever  made 
a  bad  confession,  and  concealed  your  sins?  All  this  would 
be  the  beginning  of  impenitence,  and  would  lead  you  to 
obduracy  and  the  loss  of  your  soul.  Pay  heed,  then,  to  the 
warnings  of  those  set  over  you;  listen  to  the  inspirations 
of  divine  grace ,  and  the  voice  of  your  conscience ,  so  that 
your  heart  may  not  grow  obstinate  and  hard.  St.  Paul  is 
/^urgent  in  his  warnings  against  obduracy:  "According  to  thy 
hardness  and  impenitent  heart  thou  treasurest  up  to  thyself 
wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath,  and  revelation  of  the  just 
judgment  of  God"  (Rom.  2,  5). 

Chapter  XXXIII. 
THE  PASCHAL  LAMB.— DEPARTURE  FROM  EGYPT. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

THE  Lord  spoke  again  to  Moses:  "Yet  one  plague  more 
will  I  bring  upon  Pharao  and  Egypt,  and  after  that  he 
will  let  you  go  and  thrust  you  out."  Now,  Moses  was 
a  very  great  man  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the  sight  of 
Pharao's  servants  and  of  all  the  people. 

Moses,  therefore,  spoke  to  all  the  people:   "Thus  saith 
the  Lord :  '  At  midnight  I  will  enter  into  Egypt ;  and  every 


THE  PASCHAL  LAMB.— DEPARTURE  FROM  EGYPT.   161 


first-born *  in  the  land  of  Egypt  shall  die,  from  the  first-born 
of  Pharao,  who  sitteth  on  his  throne,  even  to  the  first-born 
of  the  hand-maid,  that  is  at  the  mill,  and  all  the  first-born 
of  the  beasts ;  and  there  shall  be  a  great  cry  in  all  the  land 
of  Egypt,  such  as  neither  hath  been  before,  nor  shall  be' 
hereafter.  But  with  all  the  children  of  Israel  there  shall  be  \ 
no  death,  nor  mourning  that  you  may  know,  how  wonderful 
a  difference  the  Lord  maketh  between  the  Egyptians  and 
Israel.  And  all  these  thy  servants  shall  come  down  to  me, 
^saying:  Go  forth,  thou  and  all  the  people,  that  is  under 
thee.     After  that  we  will  go  out.'" 

After  this,  Moses  and  Aaron  spoke  to  the  children  of 
Israel,  telling  them  of  the  Lord's  command  to  kill,  in  every 
family,  a  lamb  without  blemish^  on  the  fourteenth  day  of 
the  month"^  "and  to  "sprmkle"  the  door-posts  with  the  blood 
of  the  lamb 3.  The  Lord  also  commanded  that,  on  the  same 
night,  they  should  eat  the  flesh  of  the  lamb  with  unleavened 
bread4  and  wild  lettuce5.  They  should,  moreover,  have 
their  loins  girt 6,  and  shoes  on  their  feet  and  staves  in  their 
hand 7 ;  for  that  it  was  the  passage  of  the  Lord 8,  and  that, 


162  CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

on   that   night,   His   angel   would   slay   every  first-born   of 
the  Egyptians. 

1  i.  e.  the  eldest  son  in  every  house,  and   the   leading   ox  &c.  in 

I  every  stall.  —  2  When  Moses  announced  the  institution  of  the  Pasch, 

i  they   were   in   the   seventh   month    of  the  year,  which   had   hitherto 

begun  at  the   autumnal   equinox ,  or  about   the   middle  of  September. 

Henceforward  this  seventh    month,  in  which  fell  the  vernal  equinox, 

was  to  be  the  beginning  of  the   year.  —  3  The  lamb  was  to  be  one 

Kyear  old ,  and  without   blemish ,  i.  e.  fine   and  healthy.     The  paschal 

lamb  was  to  be  a  burnt-offering,  and  everything  that  was  offered  to 

God,  had  to  be  of  the  best.  —  4  Bread,  baked  without  leaven  or  yeast. 

Baked  cakes  were  used ,  made  of  flour  and  water ,  such  as  the  Jews 

*  still  use  at  paschal  time.   As  the  fermentation,  caused  by  leaven,  is  a 

*  form  of  corruption,  the  absence  of  leaven  was  a  type  of  incorruption. 
4  —  5  a  herb  with  a  bitter  taste.  —  e  They  were   to   fasten    up  their 

robes  by  a  girdle  round  their  hips,  so  that  they  might  be  ready  to 
start  on  their  journey  at  a  moment's  notice.  —  7  therefore ,  actually 
ready  to  start.  —  8  The  day  was  called  the  Pasch,  or  passage  of 
,the  Lord,  because  the  angel  of  God,  who  killed  the  first-born  of  the 
•Egyptians,  passed  over  the  houses  of  the  Israelites,  the  doors  of  which 
were  sprinkleawith  tne  Tloocl  of  the  lamb. 

The  Israelites  did  as  they  were  commanded,  and,  at 
midnight,  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  month,  the  destroying- 
angel  visited  every  house  in  Egypt  and  slew  every  first-born, 
from  the  king's  own  to  the  first-born  of  the  captive  woman 
in  prison.  But  the  houses  of  the  Jews  he  did  not  enter; 
for  the  doors  thereof  were  sprinkled  with  the  blood  of  the 
vlamb.  And  a  fearful  cry  arose  from  all  the  land  of  Egypt, 
because  there  was  death  in  every  house9. 

And  Pharao  arose  in  the  night ,  and,  struck  with  terror, 
he  besought  Moses  and  Aaron  to  go  with  the  Israelites,  and 
take  with  them  their  herds  and  all  they  possessed.  "Go," 
he  said,  "  and,  departing,  bless  me."  The  Egyptians  themselves 
pressed10  the  people  to  go  forth  speedily,  saying:  "We  shall 
all  die."  Then,  the  people  of  God  rose  up  in  haste,  while 
it  was  yet  night,  and  began  their  journey,  taking  the  un- 
leavened bread  with  them.  Moses  also  carried  the  bones 
of  Joseph  with  him11. 

The  descendants  of  Jacob  had  lived  in  Egypt  four  hundred 
and  thirty  years.  Leaving  Egypt,  they  numbered  six  hundred 
thousand  men12,  besides  women  and  children.     Moses  com- 


THE  PASCHAL  LAMB.— DEPARTURE  FROM  EGYPT.        163 

manded  the  people,  saying:  "Remember  this  day,  in  which, 
with  a  strong  hand13,  the  Lord  brought  you  forth  out  of  [ 
this  place,  that  you  eat  none  but  unleavened  bread."  He  also  ■ 
told  them  to  sanctify  unto  the  Lord  every  first-born14, 
because  the  Lord  had  spared  their  first-born  children  on  the 
night,  on  which  He  slew  every  first-born  of  the  Egyptians. 
The  paschal  lamb  was  a  figure  of  Jesus,  Who  died  on 
the  Cross  for  the  sins  of  men.  As  the  destroying  angel 
dared  not  to  enter  the  houses  of  the  Jews,  that  were  sprinkled 
with  the  blood  of  the  lamb,  so  the  devil  has  no  power  over 
those  Christians,  who  receive  worthily  the  Body  and  Blood 
of  our  Lord  in  Holy  Communion.  In  Pharao  we  behold  a 
sad  picture  of  a  man,  grown  old  in  sin.  When  oppressed 
by  calamity,  he  seemed  to  repent,  but,  as  soon  as  the  danger 
was  past,  he  fell  back  into  his  pride  and  hardness  of  heart. 

9  It  was  the  eldest  sons,  the  hope  and  prop  of  their  parents,  who  ' 
lay  dead.  —  10  forced  them  to  go.  —  n  in  fulfilment  of  Joseph's  „ 
dying  wish  (Chapt.  XXVII).  —  12  such  men  as  were  capable  of 
fighting  in  time  of  war.  The  whole  number  of  living  souls  was  over 
two  million.  —  13  with  great  might,  by  which  he  overcame  the 
stubbornness  of  Pharao.  —  u  All  the  first-born  of  clean  beasts  had 
to  be  sacrificed  to  the  Lord.  The  first-born  of  those  which  were 
unclean  had  to  be  redeemed  with  money.  All  first-born  sons  were 
consecrated  to  God,  to  be  the  priests  of  the  family.  Soon  after 
this,  however,  the  tribe  of  Levi  was  substituted  for  the  first-born 
(Chapt.  XXXIX)  and,  from  thenceforward,  the  first-born  sons  had  to 
be  redeemed  with  money  from  the  special  service  of  God.  Almighty 
God,  to  Whom  everything  belongs,  laid  a  special  claim  on  the  first- 
born of  the  Israelites,  because  He  had  spared  their  first-born  in  Egypt. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  avenging  Justice  of  God.  The  slaying  of  the  first-born 
in  Egypt  was  a  punishment,  sent  by  God  on  account  of  the 
obstinate  unbelief  of  Pharao  and  his  people.  This  shows 
the  justice  of  God.  If  Pharao  had  been  converted  by  the  . 
lesser  plagues,  he  would  have  been  spared  this  last  terrible ' 
one.  Many  sinners,  who  care  nothing  about  God,  can  only 
be  converted  by  means  of  some  severe  visitation.  No  one 
can  resist  God,  because  He  is  almighty.  They  who  defy 
Him,  must  and  will  feel  the  weight  of  His  avenging  justice, 


164  CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

*  either  in  this  world  or  in  the  next.    "Thou  art  Lord  of  all, 

and  there  is  none  that  can  resist  Thy  majesty"  (Esth.  13,  11). 

The  Faithfulness  of  God.    All  those  promises,  which  God 

made  about  increasing  the  people   of  Israel,  and  delivering 

them  from  Egypt,  were  faithfully  fulfilled. 

God  is  Lord  over  life  mid  death.  By  the  first  plagues, 
God  proved  that  He  was  Lord  of  all  nature.  By  the  last, 
and  worst,  plague,  He  showed  that  He  was  Lord  over  life 
and  death,  because  in  one  night  He  slew  the  first-born  in 
every  Egyptian  house,  while  not  one  of  the  Israelites  was 
touched. 

The  Paschal  Lamh,  a  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  paschal 
lamb  was  a  sacrifice,  for  it  is  expressly  said  (Ex.  12,  27) 
that  it  was  "the  victim  of  the  passage  of  the  Lord".  As 
such,  it  was  pre-eminently  a  tvpe  of  our  Lord,  and  principally 
in  the  following  wa^'/'The'pasclial  lamfcTwas  to  be  without 
blemish :  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Most  Pure,  the  Most  Holy,  "a 
lamb  unspotted  and  undefiled"  (1  Pet.  1,  19)^/tThe  paschal 
Lamb  was  killed,  and  its  blood  spilt :  Jesus  Cnrist  was  slain 
for  us  on  the  altar  of  the  Cross,  and  shed  all  His  Blood  for 
us.-yOf  the  paschal  lamb  "no  bone  was  to  be  broken": 
contrary  to  the  usual  custom  with  those  crucified,  not  one 
of  our  Lord's  bones  was  broken^'Through  the  blood  of  the 
paschal  lamb,  the  Israelites  were  saved  from  temporal  death: 
through  the  Precious  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  we  are  saved 
from  the  spiritual  death  of  sin,  and  the  eternal  death  of 
hell.  The  paschal  lamb,  therefore,  foreshowed  that  the  future 
Saviour  would  be  unspotted ;  that  He  would  sacrifice  Himself 
for  us ;  that  He  would  give  His  Life  and  Blood  for  us ;  that 
not  one  of  His  bones  would  be  broken ;  and  that  we,  through 
His  sacrifice,  would  be  saved,  from  death. 

There  is   no   salvation,  except  through  Jesus  Christ.     The 

i  blood  of  the  paschal  lamb  obtained  mercy  for  the  Israelites, 

i  and  saved  them  from  death,  only  because  it  was  a  type  of 

"•the  Redeemer  of  the  world.    Its  atoning  and  saving  power 

did  not  lie  in  itself,  but  came  from  the  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 

Whose  sacrifice   and   death   were   pre-figured  by  the  death 

of  the   lamb.     The   Israelites,   because   they   sacrificed  the 


THE  PASCHAL  LAMB.— DEPARTURE  FROM  EGYPT.   165 

paschal  lamb,  and  sprinkled  their  houses  with  its  blood, 
having  faith  in  the  future  Redeemer,  were  spared,  by  reason 
of  that  faith.  Even  in  the  Old  Testament,  it  was  only  through 
faith  in  the  (future)  Redeemer  that  men  could  obtain  pardon. 
The  meaning  of  the  Paschal  Feast  in  the  Old  Law  and 
the  New  Law.  The  Jewish  Pasch  was  instituted  by  God 
through  Moses,  in  thankful  commemoration  of  the  deliverance 
of  the  Israelites  from  their  slavery  in  Egypt,  and  also  as 
^a  type  of  their  future  deliverance  from  sin  and  hell.  The 
Christian  Paschal  Feast  was  instituted  by  God,  through  His 
Church,  in  thankful  commemoration  of  the  redemption  of 
all  mankind  from  sin  and  hell  by  Jesus  Christ,  as  also  of 
our  deliverance  by  Him  from  the  bondage  of  Satan,  and  the 
overcoming  of  the  death  of  the  body  by  His  glorious  ascension. 
The  former  was  a  reminder  of  the  promise  of  redemption, 
the  latter  a  reminder  of  its  fulfilment,  of  our  real  redemption 
by  the  Lamb  of  God,  Who  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world. 

The  importance  of  the  Paschal  Feast,  as  a  type  of  our  redemption, 
is  shown  by  the  command  of  God  to  make  it  from  thenceforth  the 
beginning  of  a  new  year. 

The  Paschal  Lamb,  a  type  of  Holy  Communion.  The  paschal  lamb 
was  not  only  a  sacrifice ;  it  was  also  a  food,  which  had  to  be  partaken 
of.  In  Holy  Communion ,  our  Lord ,  the  true  Paschal  Lamb ,  gives 
Himself  to  us  to  be  the  Food  of  our  souls.  This  priceless  Food,  if  It 
is  to  nourish  us,  mast  be  partaken  of,  mingled  with  the  "bitter  herb" 
of  penance  and  a  sincere  confession  of  our  sins.  If  we  receive  It 
worthily,  It  strengthens  us  for  our  journey  through  the  wilderness 
of  this  life,  and  will  enable  us  to  reach  the  Promised  Land  of  ever- 
lasting happiness.  "He  that  eateth  this  bread,"  said  our  Lord,  "shall 
live  for  ever"  (John  6,  59). 

The  connection  between  type  and  fulfilment.  It  could  not  be  said  that 
the  bones  of  our  Lord  were  not  broken,  because  the  bones  of  the  paschal 
V  lamb,  which  was  a  type  of  Him ,  were  not  broken.  The  case  must 
be  reversed;  for  a  type  points  to  the  person  typified,  and  not  the 
person  to  the  type.  Because ,  therefore ,  God ,  in  His  omniscience, 
knew  that  no  bone  of  the  crucified  Redeemer  would  be  broken.  He 
commanded  that  no  bone  should  be  broken  of  the  paschal  lamb,  which 
was  intended  to  be  a  type  of  that  Redeemer.  It  is  the  same  with 
all  types.  The  omniscient  God  has  so  disposed  them  that  they  point 
on  to  the  Redeemer,  His  work  and  His  kingdom. 

Persons  and  things  as  types.  The  types,  about  which  you  have  till 
now  learnt  (Adam,  Abel,  Noe,  Melchisedech,  Isaac,  Joseph  and  Job), 


166  CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

were  men.  But  the  paschal  lamb ,  and  the  slaying  of  the  first-horn, 
were  things.  You  will  come  across  many  other  things,  which  were 
types  of  our  Lord,  such  as  the  manna,  the  brazen  serpent  &c.  &c. 
III.  Application. 

How  the  Israelites  must  have  thanked  God,  when  their 
first-born  sons  were  spared,  and  when  they  were  delivered 
from  the  cruel  slavery  of  Egypt !  Thank  God  daily  that  His 
only-begotten  Son  has  redeemed  you,  has  won  pardon  for 
you,  and  has  opened  heaven  to  you.  Serve  God  with  a 
grateful  love,  for  you  were  dedicated  to  His  service  at  your 
Baptism.  Above  all  things,  hear  Mass  willingly  and  devoutly, 
and  be  thankful  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  Who  daily  sacrifices 
Himself  for  you. 

When  you  obey  your  evil  inclinations  and  passions,  you  are 
still  in  the  bonds  of  the  cruel  servitude  of  Satan  and  sin. 
Tear  yourself  away  from  this  ignominious  slavery.  Seek  out, 
and  fight  against,  your  besetting  sin.  Make  resolutions  against 
it  every  morning  when  you  say  your  prayers,  and  examine 
your  conscience  about  it  in  the  evening. 

Chapter  XXXIV. 
PASSAGE  OF  THE  RED  SEA. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

NOW,  God  Himself  conducted  the  Israelites  in  their  march, 
going  before  them  by  day  in  a  pillar1  of  cloud,  by 
night  in  a  pillar  of  flame.  They,  at  length,  reached  the  shores 
of  the  Red  Sea 2,  where  they  pitched  their  tents 3.  Suddenly 
Pharao  repented  of  having  allowed  the  Israelites  to  go4, 
and  pursued  them  with  chariots5  and  horsemen,  and  with 
his  whole  army6;  and  he  overtook  them  at  night-fall  near 
the  Red  Sea. 

When  the  Israelites  saw  the  Egyptians  behind  them,  they 

were   seized  with  fear ,   and  cried  to  the  Lord  for  help 7. 

Moses,  however,  calmed  and  encouraged  them,  saying:  "The 

*Lord  will  fight  for  you."    At  the  same  time  the  pillar  of 

cloud,  which   had  gone  before  them,  went  back  and  stood 

^  between  their  camp  and  the  army  of  the  Egyptians.  Moreover, 


PASSAGE  OF  THE  RED  SEA. 


167 


the  cloud  gave  light  to  the  Israelites,  but  it  made  the  night j 
darker  for  the  Egyptians,  so  that  they  could  not  see  nor 
stir  for  the  rest  of  the  night.  Then  Moses,  commanded  by 
God,  stretched  his  rod  over  the  sea,  and  immediately  the 
waters  divided  and  stood  like  a  wall  on  either  side,  leaving 
a  dry  road  between  for  the  children  of  Israel  to  pass  over. 
And  the  children  of  Israel  went  in  through  the  midst  of  the  sea. 

1  A  cloud,  which  raised  itself  up  like  a  pillar,  so  that  it  could  be 
seen  by  all  the  people.  In  this  cloud,  which,  later  on,  rested  on  the 
Ark  of  the  Covenant  (Chapt.  XXXVIII),  God  was  present  in  an  especial 
manner,  to  prove  to  the  Israelites  that  He  was  their  leader  and 
protector.  —  2  The  track,  followed  by  the  Israelites,  is  marked  by  a 
blue  line  on  map  I.  —  3  They  encamped  to  rest  for  the  night.  — 
4  His  first  terror,  caused  by  the  slaying  of  the  first-born,  was  passed, 
and  his  old  spirit  of  defiance  had  returned.  He  and  his  people  wished 
to  revenge  themselves  on  the  Israelites  for  the  death  of  their  sons, 
and  seize  them,  to  reduce  them  once  more  to  slavery.  —  5  cars  full 
of  soldiers,  who,  from  these  chariots,  attacked  the  enemy  with  arrows, 
spears  and  swords.  —  6  which  was  more  than  200  000  strong.  — 
7  The  Israelites  really  were  in  a  terrible  position.  Before  them  lay 
the  deep  sea,  behind  them  Pharao's  host;  to  right  and  left  of  them 
were  high  mountains!   They  could  not  possibly  have  escaped,  if  God 


168  CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

had  not  helped  them.  But  the  Lord,  in  order  to  strengthen  His 
people's  faith,  worked  a  mighty  miracle,  and  made  the  water  to  cease 
to  flow,  and  rear  itself  up  like  two  walls,  letting  the  people  of  Israel 
pass  between  them  to  the  other  side. 

At  the  dawn  of  day,  the  Egyptians  pursued  them  into 
the  midst  of  the  sea.  But  suddenly  a  great  tempest  arose 8, 
and  overthrew  their  chariots  and  horsemen.  And  the  Lord 
said  to  Moses:  "Stretch  thy  hand  over  the  sea";  and  behold! 
the  divided  waters  came  together  again,  swallowing  up  Pharao 
and  his  whole  army,  so  that  not  one  of  the  Egyptians  escaped. 
Thus  did  the  Lord,  by  a  splendid  miracle,  deliver  the 
Hebrews  that  day  from  the  Egyptians.  And  the  people  feared 

i  the  Lord,  and  believed  in  Him 9,  and  in  Moses,  His  servant. 

<  The  passage  of  the  Red  Sea  is  a  figure  of  the  Sacrament 
of  Baptism.  There  was  no  other  way  left  to  the  Israelites 
to  escape  from  Pharao  and  enter  the  Land  of  Promise,  save 
through  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea ;  so  is  there  no  way  to 
y  escape  from  the  power  of  the  devil  and  to  enter  heaven, 
except  through  the  waters  of  Baptism.  In  the  death  of 
Pharao   and  his  army  we  have  an  example  of  the   divine 

t  justice.    Pharao  and  his  servants  had  made  a  law  to  drown 

j  the  Hebrew  babies  in  the  Nile.  In  punishment  for  this  cruelty 
he  and  his  army  were  swallowed  up  by  the  waves  of  the  sea. 

8  Thunder  and  lightning  burst  from  the  cloud,  and  the  whole  army 
of  Pharao  fell  into  disorder.  —  9  They  believed  even  more  than  they 
had  done. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  almighty  Power  of  God  divided  the  waters,  held  them 
up  as  walls  on  either  side,  made  the  burning  wind  to  blow, 
and  the  lightning  to  strike  the  Egyptians. 

God's  Goodness  to  His  people  is  shown  throughout  the  whole 
story.  First,  He  led  His  people  by  a  visible  means  (the 
pillar  of  cloud).  Then,  He  worked  a  great  miracle,  and  saved 
them,  for  good  and  all,  from  the  power  of  the  Egyptians. 
By  the  destruction  of  their  army  the  Egyptians  were  so 
weakened,  and  the  damage  done  to  them  so  lasting,  that 
they  were  unable  to  molest  the  Israelites,  the  whole  time 
they  were  wandering  in  the  wilderness. 


PASSAGE  OF  THE  RED  SEA.  169 

The  retributive  Justice  of  God.  Pharao's  terrible  end  was 
a  punishment  for  his  impenitence  and  obstinate  resistance 
of  God's  grace.  His  people  were  punished  also,  and  perished 
with  him.  The  Epyptians  drowned  the  Israelite  babes  in 
the  Nile,  and,  in  punishment  for  this,  their  sons  were  drowned 
in  the  sea.    How  terrible  is  God's  justice! 

Confidence  in  God.  While  the  Israelites,  filled  with  fear, 
called  upon  the  Lord  for  help,  Moses  remained  perfectly 
calm.  Full  of  confidence  in  God,  he  said  to  the  people: 
"Fear  nothing!  The  Lord  will  fight  for  you":  and  his 
confidence  was  justified  and  rewarded ,  for  God ,  to  Whom 
nature  is  subject,  sent  thunder  and  lightning,  wind  and  rain 
to  their  aid.  God  can  help  us,  when  all  other  help  is  useless. 
The  greater  the  need,  the  nearer  is  God! 

Seeming  conversion.  Pharao  was  not  really  converted.  The  death 
of  the  first-born  frightened  and  staggered  him,  so  that  he  let  the 
Israelites  go.  But,  when  the  first  terror  was  over,  he  returned  to 
his  former  obduracy,  and  again  defied  God.  He  wished  to  overcome 
God's  will,  and  bring  back  His  people  by  force  of  arms.  But,  at 
last,  the  measure  of  his  sins  was  full.  He  had  despised  the  warnings 
of  God's  mercy,  so  now,  God's  justice  overtook  him,  and  he  died  a 
miserable  death.  He  was  like  those  sinners,  who  in  times  of  tribulation, 
such  as  sickness  or  misfortune,  promise  to  amend  their  ways,  but 
who,  when  the  trial  is  removed,  do  not  keep  their  promise,  and  fall 
back  into  their  old  habits  and  forgetfulness  of  God.  —  Such  sinners 
will  die  an  impenitent  death,  as  Pharao  did,  and  be  lost  eternally. 
"Hell  is  paved  with  good  intentions." 

The  object  of  miracles.  The  people  feared  God,  because 
they  saw  His  power  and  justice  with  their  own  eyes;  and 
they  believed  that  Moses  was  sent  by  God,  because  it  was 
through  him  that  His  great  miracles  were  wrought. 

The  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea,  a  type  of  Baptism.  The 
passage  of  the  Red  Sea  was  (according  to  1  Cor.  10,  1)  a 
type  of  holy  Baptism.  As  the  Israelites  had  to  pass  through 
the  Red  Sea  in  order  to  escape  from  the  slavery  of  Pharao, 
and  reach  the  Promised  Land,  so  must  we  pass  through  the 
waters  of  Baptism  in  order  to  be  freed  from  the  slavery 
of  sin  and  Satan,  and  finally  attain  to  heaven. 

Faith,  our  guide.   We  also  want  a  guide  on  our  way  through  life. 

Who  will  be  our  guide?     God   leads   us   through   the   wilderness    of 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  8 


170  CHAPTER  XXXV. 

this  life  to  the  promised  land  of  heaven ,  by  His  holy  faith ,  which 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Light  of  the  world,  taught  and  deposited  in  His 
Church.  If v  we  follow  the  light  of  faith ;  if  we ,  that  is ,  live  up  to 
our  faith,  we  are  sure  to  arrive  at  our  heavenly  home.  "I  am  the 
Light  of  the  world:  he  that  followeth  Me,  walketh  not  in  darkness 
but  shall  have  the  light  of  life"  (John  8,  12). 

III.  Application. 

Moses  and  the  children  of  Israel  sang  a  canticle  of  praise  in 
thanksgiving  for  their  wonderful  deliverance.  It  began  by  the 
words:  "Let  us  sing  to  the  Lord,  for  He  is  gloriously  magnified: 
The  horse  and  the  rider  He  hath  thrown  into  the  sea." 

You  too  should  thank  the  Lord  God  frequently  for  your 
creation,  preservation  and  redemption.  Thank  Him  daily 
for  your  Baptism,  and  for  the  holy  Catholic  faith. 

•  Chapter  XXXV. 
THE  MIRACLES,  WROUGHT  IN  THE  DESERT. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  the  people  of  God  had  crossed  the  Red  Sea, 
Moses  ordered  them  to  go  on  towards  the  wilderness. 
They  marched  three  days  through  the  wilderness,  and  found 
no  water1.  Finding  some2,  at  last3,  they  could  not  drink 
it,  because  it  was  bitter4.  The  people  murmured  against 
Moses,  saying:  "What  shall  we  drink?"  Moses  prayed,  and 
the  Lord  showed  him  a  tree,  which,  when  cast  into  the 
water,  rendered  it  sweet5. 

1  They  had  no  drinking  water.  They  could  have  got  sea-water, 
but  this,  being  salt,  does  not  quench  the  thirst,  but  rather  increases 
it.  —  2  at  Mara  (see  map).  —  3  after  three  days  of  thirst.  —  4  It 
was  briny,  so  that  neither  men  nor  beasts  could  drink  it.  —  6  so 
called  in  contradistinction  to  salt  water.  Drinkable  water  is  known 
as  fresh,  or  sweet  water. 

And  when  they  had  gone  far  into  the  wilderness 6 ,  the 
people  began  to  murmur  still  more,  seeing  that  there  was 
no  food,  and  they  wished  that  they  had  remained  and  died 
in  Egypt,  asking  Moses,  why  he  had  brought  them  out  into 
the  wilderness  to  die.    Instead  of  punishing  them  for  their 


THE  MIRACLES,  WROUGHT  IN  THE  DESERT.  171 


want  of  confidence,  God,  full  of  mercy  and  goodness,  promised 
to  give  them  food  in  abundance. 

He  sent  them,  accordingly,  in  the  evening,  quails  in  vast 
numbers,  sufficient  for  all  the  children  of  Israel  to  eat ;  and, 
in  the  morning,  a  delicious  white  food  fell  from  heaven. 
When  the  Israelites  saw  the  bread,  which  looked  like  hoar- 
frost, they  exclaimed  "Manhu",  which  signifies:  "What  is 
this?"  Moses  informed  them  that  it  was  the  bread,  which 
the  Lord  gave  them7.  He,  then,  told  every  one  to  gather 
of  it,  as  much  as  he  needed. 

They  did  so,  and  found  it  pleasant  to  eat,  tasting  like 
flour  mixed  with  honey.  On  the  day  before  the  Sabbath, 
they  gathered  a  double  quantity,  as  none  fell  on  the  Sabbath. 
This  Manna8  was  their  food  for  forty  years,  until  they 
reached  the  confines  of  Chanaan 9. 

6  They  had  now  been  four  weeks  in  the  wilderness,  and  had  ex- 
hausted the  provisions,  which  they  had  brought  with  them  from  Egypt. 
7  without  any  intervention  on  the  part  of  man.  —  8  This  word  came 
from  "Manhu",  and  means  the  same  thing.  —  9  The  fall  of  Manna 
went  on,  and  was  renewed  every  day  except  Saturday. 

8* 


172  CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Some  time  after  these  events,  they  encamped  in  another 
part  of  the  desert,  where  again  there  was  no  water.  Here 
also  they  murmured  against  Moses,  and  blamed  him  for 
having  brought  them  out  of  Egypt.  Then,  Moses  reproved 
them  for  their  want  of  confidence  in  God;  and,  addressing 
the  Lord  in  prayer,  he  asked,  what  he  should  do 10.  The  Lord 
commanded  him  to  strike  a  rock11  on  the  side  of  Mount 
Horeb  with  his  rod.  Moses  did  so,  and  a  stream  of  pure 
water  burst  forth  from  the  rock,  so  that  all  the  people  and 
the  cattle  could  quench  their  thirst  at  will. 

10  "What  shall  I  do  with  this  people?"  said  he.  "Yet  a  little 
more,  and  they  will  stone  me."  The  anger  of  the  people  against 
Moses  was,  therefore,  very  great.  —  n  which  He  would  show  to 
him.  God  had  said  to  Moses:  "I  will  stand  there  before  thee  on 
the  rock  Horeb"  (Ex.  17,  6). 

At  this  time,  the  Amalekites 12  marched  against  the  chosen 
people.  Moses  sent  Josue13  with  a  number  of  picked  men 
against  them.  During  the  battle,  Moses  prayed  on  the  top 
of  the  hill.  As  long  as  his  hands  were  uplifted14,  the  Israelites 
remained  victorious ;  but  when,  through  fatigue,  he  let  them 
sink,  they  lost.  Hence  Aaron  and  Hur15  upheld  his  hands, 
until  the  enemy  was  put  to  flight. 

The  tree,  which  sweetened  the  water  of  the  desert,  was 
^a  figure  of  the  Cross,  which  sweetens  the  sufferings  of  this 
life.  The  Manna,  which  daily  fell  from  heaven,  and  sustained 
the  Israelites  for  forty  years  in  the  desert,  was  a  figure  of 
Christ  in  the  holy  Eucharist,  Who,  every  day,  during  the 
holy  Mass,  descends  from  heaven  to  nourish  our  souls  for  life 
everlasting.  The  water,  which  flowed  from  the  rock,  when 
struck  by  Moses,  signifies  the  grace,  which  flows  so  abundantly 
for  us  from  the  Sacraments  of  the  Church. 

12  They  were  descendants  of  Esau,  and  were  a  wild,  marauding 
and  pagan  people,  who  lived  in  the  country  between  Chanaan  and 
the  Red  Sea,  in  the  peninsula  of  Sinai.  They  desired  to  hinder  the 
Israelites  on  their  way  to  the  Promised  Land ,  and ,  as  far  as  they 
could,  to  destroy  all  worshippers  of  the  true  God.  —  13  as  the  leader 
of  the  fighting  men.  —  u  in  intercessory  prayer.  —  15  a  leading 
representative  of  the  tribe  of  Juda. 


THE  MIRACLES,  WROUGHT  IN  THE  DESERT.  173 

II.  Commentary. 

The  wood,  thrown  into  the  bitter  well,  by  God's  command, 
possessed  no  natural  properties,  by  which  to  make  the  water 
sweet;  therefore,  the  miracle  worked  was  simply  the  effect 
of  God's  almighty  power.  In  the  same  way,  the  stroke, 
dealt  by  Moses's  rod,  did  not  of  itself  bring  water  from  the 
rock:  it  was  the  omnipotence  of  God,  which  caused  that 
abundant  spring  to  pour  from  the  dry  stone.  To  show  that 
the  power  came  from  Him,  the  Lord  God,  present  in  the 
pillar  of  cloud,  rested  on  the  rock.  It  was  also  His  almighty 
will,  which  summoned  the  flock  of  quails,  and  which  rained 
the  Manna  from  heaven  every  day  (except  the  Sabbath), 
during  forty  years,  so  that  His  chosen  people,  might  be  able 
to  exist  in  the  barren  desert. 

Goodness  and  Patience  of  God.  Almighty  God  was  marvel- 
lously good  and  patient  with  the  unbelieving  Israelites.  He 
dwelt  in  their  midst  in  a  visible  way;  He  protected  them  from 
the  heat  of  the  sun  by  the  pillar  of  cloud ;  He  forgave  them 
their  repeated  murmurings ;  He  was  always  showering  fresh 
benefits  on  them,  and  defending  them  against  their  enemies. 

Sins  against  religion.  The  Israelites  were  an  ungrateful, 
carnal  people.  They  cared  more  for  good  food  and  drink 
than  for  their  liberty  and  the  Promised  Land.  Though  Almighty 
God  worked  such  great  miracles  for  them,  and  dwelt  in 
their  midst  in  the  pillar  of  cloud,  they  were  always  murmuring 
against  Moses  and  reproaching  him.  Their  reproaches  and 
ingratitude  were,  indirectly,  offences  against  God,  for  Moses 
was  but  carrying  out  His  commands.  The  Israelites  sinned 
against  the  First  Commandment  by  their  ingratitude,  want 
of  confidence,  and  murmurings  against  the  decrees  of  God. 

The  power  of  prayer.  Moses  raised,  not  only  his  hands, 
but  also  his  heart  to  God.  "The  continual  prayer  of  a  just 
man  availeth  much"  (James  5,  16).  It  was  not  Josue's  valour, 
but  Moses's  prayers,  which  overcame  the  enemy.  Raise  your 
heart  with  your  hands  to  heaven,  when  you  pray.  Like  Moses, 
the  priest  at  the  altar  prays  with  outstretched,  upraised  hands. 

Helping  ourselves.  The  Israelites  did  not  depend  only  on 
the  prayers  of  Moses ;  they  exerted  themselves,  and  defended 


174  CHAPTER  XXXV. 

themselves  as  best  they  could.  In  all  our  times  of  danger 
and  necessity,  we  ought  to  do  the  same:  do  what  we  can 
for  ourselves,  and  pray  to  God. 

Unappreciated  gifts  of  God.  Daily  bread  to  eat,  and  good 
water  to  drink  are  very  great  boons.  We  only  learn  to 
prize  them,  when  we  have  to  go  without  them. 

The  wood ,  which  made  the  waters  sweet ,  is  a  type  of  the  Cross  of 
Jesus  Christ.  His  Cross  makes  sweet  to  us  all  that  is  bitter  and 
distasteful.  Firstly,  it  gives  us  the  grace  to  be  patient,  and,  secondly, 
it  teaches  us  to  bear  all  sufferings  cheerfully,  for  love  of  Him,  who 
suffered  so  much  for  us. 

The  Manna  is,  as  our  Lord  Himself  declared  (New.  Test.  XXXIV), 
a  type  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  It  came  daily  from  heaven  to  give 
strength  to  the  Israelites  for  their  journey,  and  was  sweet  to  the 
taste.  Our  Lord,  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  comes  from  heaven,  and 
gives  Himself  to  us  to  nourish  our  souls  on  their  journey  to  heaven, 
through  the  wilderness  of  this  life ;  and  He  is  a  sweet  and  life-giving 
food  to  those  who  love  Him.  The  Church  says  in  the  Litany  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament:  Thou  hast  given  them  bread  from  heaven,  con- 
taining in  itself  all  sweetness. 

The  water,  -flowing  from  the  rock,  is  (according  to  1  Cor.  10,  24)  a 
type  of  the  stream  of  divine  grace,  which,  proceeding  from  our  Saviour, 
Who  was  pierced  for  us,  flows  down  on  the  languishing  souls  of 
men  (compare  what  our  Lord  says  about  the  living  water,  New 
Test.  XVI).  "If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  to  Me  and  drink," 
said  our  Divine  Saviour  (John  7,  37). 

Moses,  praying  on  the  mountain  with  outstretched  arms,  is  a  type 
of  our  Lord,  Who  was  nailed  with  outstretched  arms  on  to  the  Cross 
on  Calvary,  and  prayed  for  the  salvation  of  the  world. 

The  victory  of  God's  chosen  people  over  the  heathen  Amalekites 
is  a  type  of  the  victory  of  the  Church  militant  over  her  enemies ,  a 
victory,  won  by  the  spiritual  weapons  of  virtue  and  prayer. 

III.  Application. 

He  who  wishes  to  reach  the  promised  land  of  heaven 
must  suffer  and  deny  himself.  He  must  renounce  his  bad 
desires,  and  patiently  bear  trials  for  love  of  God.  He  must 
fight  against  the  enemies  of  his  soul,  and  all  temptations 
to  evil.  We  must  fight,  endure  and  suffer  in  this  world, 
and  we  must  do  so  from  our  youth  upwards.  Ask  yourself, 
what  you  have  done  hitherto.  Deny  yourself  voluntarily 
something  in  the  way  of  food  and  drink.  Do  not  complain, 
if  anything   hurts  you,  but  rather  suffer  it   in  silence,  and 


GOD  GIVES  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS  ON  MOUNT  SINAI.      175 

offer  your  pain  to  your  crucified  Saviour.    Suppress  at  once 
all  movements  of  anger,  pride,  envy,  or  sinful  curiosity. 

We  must  not  only  fight :  we  must  also  pray,  to  be  enabled 
to  overcome  the  enemy  of  our  souls.  Say  to-day  a  prayer 
in  honour  of  the  Five  Wounds  of  our  Lord,  or  else,  say  a 
decade  of  the  sorrowful  mysteries  of  the  rosary,  to  obtain 
the  grace  to  overcome  yourself. 

Chapter  XXXVI. 

GOD   GIVES   THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS   ON 
MOUNT  SINAI. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

IN  the  third  month 1  after  their  departure  from  Egypt,  the 
Israelites  came  to  Mount  Sinai2,  where  they  rested  and 
pitched  their  tents.  Moses  ascended  the  mountain,  and  God 
appeared  to  him  there.  He  commanded  him  to  go  down  to 
the  people,  and  remind  them  of  the  wonders  He  had  wrought 
in  their  behalf.  He  told  him,  moreover,  to  announce  to  them 
that,  if  they  would  keep  His  law,  they  should  continue  to 
be  His  chosen  people3. 

Moses  went  down  from  the  mountain,  and  related  to  the 
people  what  God  had  said.  They  all  cried  out  with  one 
voice:  "All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  we  will  do."  Then, 
Moses  went  up  again  to  the  mountain,  and  the  Lord  told 
him  that  all  the  people  should  sanctify  and  purify  themselves 
from  all  defilement,  that  might  render  them  unfit  to  appear 
in  His  presence,  and  to  come,  on  the  third  day4,  to  the 
mountain;  but  that  barriers5  must  be  placed  around  it,  so 
that  they  might  not  approach  too  near  and  die. 

1  They  had  left  Egypt  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  first  month ; 
and  now  it  was  the  third  day  of  the  third  month,  or  forty-eight  days 
since  their  departure.  —  2  See  map.  A  distinction  must  be  drawn 
between  Sinai  in  its  larger  sense,  and  Sinai  in  its  particular  sense .v 
for  all  the  mountains,  in  that  part  of  Arabia,  are,  in  the  wider  sense, 
known  as  Sinai.  In  this  chain  there  are  two  peaks;  one  is  Horeb, 
and  the  other  is  known  as  Sinai  in  the  more  particular  sense  of  the 
word.  It  was  in  front  of  this  latter  mountain  that  the  Israelites 
encamped.  It  is  7363  feet  high,  and  rises  perpendicularly  from  a 
large  plateau  to  a  height  of  2000  feet.   From  this  plateau  the  Israelites 


176  CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

could  see  everything,  which  took  place  on  the  mountain.  —  3  God 
renewed  with  all  the  people  the  covenant,  which  He  had  made  with 
their  forefather  Abraham  (Chapt.  IX).  —  4  They  were  to  purify 
themselves  inwardly  by  penance ,  as  well  as  outwardly  by  ablutions, 
because  the  Most  Holy  was  going  to  manifest  Himself  to  them.  —  5  or 
boundaries,  probably  marked  by  stakes,  which  were  not  to  be  passed. 

The  third  morning  being  come,  there  was  thunder  and 
lightning  around  the  mountain,  and  a  thick  cloud  covered 
its  top.  Smoke,  mixed  with  fire6,  was  seen  to  ascend,  the 
mountain  rocked  and  trembled  7,  while  a  trumpet 8  sounded 
very  loud,  and  the  people  below  on  the  plain  feared  ex- 
ceedingly. Then  was  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  speaking 
from  the  cloud,  that  covered  the  mountain,  saying: 

I.  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God.  Thou  shalt  not  have  strange 
gods  before  Me.  Thou  shalt  not  make  to  thyself  a 
graven  thing;  nor  the  likeness  of  anything;  thou 
shalt  not  adore  them,  nor  serve  them. 
II.  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God 
in  vain 9. 

III.  Remember  that  thou  keep  holy  the  Sabbath-day. 

IV.  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  thou  mayest 

be  long   lived  upon   the   land,  which  the  Lord  thy 
God  will  give  thee. 
V.   Thou  shalt  not  kill. 
VI.    Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 
VII.   Thou  shalt  not  steal. 

VIII.    Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neigh- 
bour. 
IX.   Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  wife. 
X.   Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  goods. 
The  people,  trembling  and  afraid  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain, cried  out  to  Moses:   "Speak  thou  to  us,  and  we  will 
hear ;  let  not  the  Lord  speak  to  us,  lest  we  die."  10    Moses 
told  them  that  the  Lord  had  come  down  to  instil  fear  into 
their  hearts,  that  they  might  not  sin. 

fi  When  God  spoke  to  Moses  the  first  time,  He  appeared  to  him  in 
the  midst  of  flames,  in  the  burning  bush.  —  7  There  was  an  earth- 
quake. —  8  with  a  long  sound.  —  9  i.  e.  not  for  an  unnecessary 
purpose.  —  10  of  terror. 


GOD  GIVES  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS  ON  MOUNT  STNAT.     177 

And  the  people  stood  afar  off,  but  Moses  went  into  the 
dark  cloud11,  and  the  Lord  gave  him  further  laws42,  which 
he  wrote  down  and  explained  to  the  people.  They  answered 
with  one  voice:  "We  will  do  all  the  words  of  the  Lord, 
which  He  hath  spoken."  Moses  raised  an  altar  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain,  and  offered  a  holocaust  to  the  Lord.  And, 
taking  the  blood  of  the  victim,  he  sprinkled  the  people  with 
it,  saying:  "This  is  the  blood  of  the  covenant13,  which  the 
Lord  hath  made  with  you,  concerning  all  these  words." 

As  the  Old  Covenant,  or  Testament,  was  consecrated  by 
the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  animals,  so  the  New  Testament 
was  ratified  and  sealed  by  the  Blood  of  the  §on  of  God, 
Who  said:  "This  is  My  Blood  of  the  New  Testament." 

11  In  which  God  was  (Ex.  20,  21).  —  12  laws,  relating  to  the 
moral  life  of  the  people,  and  also  laws,  in  further  explanation  of  the 
Ten  Commandments.  Moses,  in  the  name  of  God,  formally  and  solemnly 
ratified  His  covenant  with  the  people,  after  they  had  promised  obedience 
to  His  law,  and  sealed  it  with  the  blood  of  a  sacrifice.  —  13  i.  e.  this 
blood  is  for  the  ratification  and  sealing  of  the  covenant. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Holiness  of  God.  God,  Who  wills  what  is  good,  and 
abhors  what  is  evil,  revealed  His  will  to  man  by  His  holy 
Commandments,  so  that  they  might  avoid  what  was  evil,  and 
do  what  was  right.  And  because  He  is  holy,  He  desired 
the  Israelites  to  sanctify  themselves  and  prepare  themselves 
by  penance  for  His  manifestation  of  Himself  to  them. 

The  fearful  Majesty  of  God.  The  tremendous  signs,  under 
which  God  manifested  Himself,  were  intended  to  convince 
the  people  of  His  greatness  and  majesty,  and  inspire  them 
with  a  wholesome  fear  of  breaking  His  Commandments. 
Therefore,  Moses  said  to  them:  "The  Lord  is  come  that  you 
may  fear  Him  and  not  sin."  These  tokens  of  the  presence 
of  God  are  typical  of  His  attributes.  The  cloud  and  the 
smoke  signified  that  God  is  incomprehensible,  and  cannot 
be  gazed  at  by  mortal  eyes.  The  crashing  of  the  thunder 
and  the  terrible  blast  of  the  trumpets  revealed  God's  might 
and  majesty.  The  lightning  and  the  flames  pointed  to  God's' 
holiness  and  avenging  justice.    The  quaking  of  the  mountain 

8** 


178  CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

signified  the  fearful  and  unapproachable  majesty  of  God, 
before  which  the  very  angels  tremble.  No  wonder  that  these 
tokens  of  the  presence  of  God  filled  the  Israelites  with  fear 
and  awe.  When  the  Lord  God  Himself  spoke  the  Ten 
Commandments ,  they  were  filled  with  such  consuming  fear 
that  they  nearlyfeinted  away,  and  said  to  Moses:  "Speak 
thou  to  us  &c."  They  felt  that  they  must  die,  if  God  spoke 
to  them  in  that  way.  How  terrible  is  the  majesty  of  God! 
The  Israelites  did  not  see  Him ;  they  only  saw  the  signs  of 
His  presence,  and  heard  His  voice,  and  yet,  they  nearly  died 
of  terror.    Fear  the  just  God,  and  keep  His  Commandments. 

The  Ten  Commandments  and  the  Natural  Law.  The  Ten 
Commandments  were  but  the  expression  of  that  natural  law, 
which  God  has  written  in  every  man's  heart,  and  which 
every  man  can  know,  if  he  listens  to  the  voice  of  reason 
and  conscience.  Therefore,  the  Ten  Commandments  apply 
to  all  men  and  all  times:  and,  for  this  reason,  God  wrote 
them  on  stone  to  signify  that  they  are  as  durable  as  stone, 
and  are  to  last  for  all  ages.  We  Christians  ought  to  observe 
the  Commandments  even  more  perfectly  than  was  expected 
of  the  Israelites,  for  our  Lord  has  said:  "Think  not  that 
I  am  come  to  destroy  the  law  or  the  prophets.  I  am  not 
come  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil"  (New  Test.  XXI). 

The  contents  of  the  Ten  Commandments  are  fully  explained 
in  the  catechism ,  so  I  will  only  draw  your  attention  here 
to  their  connexion  with  each  other,  and  to  their  general 
tenor.  The  first  three  say  to  us,  "Thou  shalt  worship 
God ;  thou  shalt  honour  and  keep  holy  His  name ;  thou  shalt 
.respect  and  keep  holy  His  day."  The  fourth  Commandment 
is  a  transition  from  one  division  to  the  other.  The  next 
four  protect  our  most  valuable  possessions,  and  forbid  any 
injury  to  life,  innocence,  property  and  honour.  The  last  two 
forbid  evil  desires,  because  they  corrupt  the  heart  and  lead 
to  evil  deeds. 

The  Ten  Commandments  are  a  benefit  to  mankind.     God 

gave  them  to  us  out  of  love  and  for  our  good,  or,  in  other 

words,  for  our  temporal  welfare  and  our  eternal  salvation. 

">How  would  the  world  fare,  if  murder,  rapine,  robbery  and 


GOD  GIVES  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS  ON  MOUNT  SINAI.     179 

defamation  of  character  were  not  forbidden !  Nobody  would 
be  sure  of  either  life  or  property.  There  would  be  an  end 
to  all  order  and  obedience  in  family-life ;  evil  and  lawlessness 
would  reign  triumphantly;  men  would  live  likeVwild  beasts 
in  accordance  with  their  savage  lusts,  and  hunt  down  and 
devour  each  other.  The  Ten  Commandments  were,  therefore, 
given  to  us  for  our  good ;  that  peace  and  order  might  reign 
among  men,  in  family,  society  and  state,  and  that  we  might 
attain  to  everlasting  happiness.  For  this  reason,  he  who  does 
not  observe  the  Ten  Commandments,  is  not  only  an  enemy 
to  God,  but  an  enemy  to  mankind  and  to  his  own  self. 

The  Old  Covenant  and  the  New.  The  Old  Covenant  was 
made  through  Moses ,  the  New  through  Jesus  Christ.  The 
Old  Covenant  was  made  with  only  one  nation ;  the  New  with 
all  mankind.  The  Old  Covenant  was  made,  to  last  for  a 
limited  time;  the  New  will  last  to  the  end  of  time.  The 
Old  Covenant  was  sealed  with  the  blood  of  victims ;  the  New 
with  the  Blood  of  God  made  Man  ("This  is  My  Blood  of  the 
New  Testament";  New  Test.  LXV).  In  the  Old  Testament, 
severe  laws  were  made,  but  the  power  of  observing  them 
was  not  given.  The  New  Testament  has  not  only  its  own 
holy  laws,  but  abundant  grace  is  given,  by  which  to  observe 
them ;  and  the  New  Covenant  is,  therefore ,  called  the  Co- 
venant of  grace. 

The  Ten  Commandments  and  the  other  laws  of  the  Old  Testament 
were  a  preparation  for  Jesus  Christ  (Gal.  3,  24).  The  Jews  could 
not  perfectly  observe  those  laws,  which  forbade  even  evil  desires; 
and,  feeling  this,  they  came  to  know  their  own  weakness  and  sinfulness. 
They  saw  that  they  required  divine  help  to  do  that  which  they  ought 
to  do ,  and  to  be  just  in  the  eyes  of  God.  They  longed ,  therefore, 
for  the  promised  Saviour.  But  we  Christians  can,  by  God's  grace, 
keep  all  the  Commandments,  if  only  we  desire  to  do  so,  and  use 
the  means  of  grace. 

Pentecost.  God  gave  the  Ten  Commandments  fifty  days  after  the 
departure  from  Egypt.  In  commemoration  of  this,  the  Jews  always 
kept  the  feast  of  Pentecost  fifty  days  after  the  Pasch  (Old  Test. 
XXXIX).  The  Christian  Pentecost  is  also  kept  fifty  days  after  Easter* 
because ,  on  that  day ,  God  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  from  heaven, 
ancrlrinscribed  the  law  of  love  on  the  hearts  of  the  faithful. 

The  first  day  of  Pentecost  in  the  Old  Testament  is  a  type  of  the 
first  day  of  Pentecost   in  the  New  Testament.     On   the   former,  the 


180  CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

'mountain  shook ;  on  the  latter,  the  house,  in  which  were  the  apostles. 
On  the  one,  were  thunders  and  storm ;  on  the  other,  the  rushing  as  of  a 
mighty  wind.  On  the  former,  flames  appeared ;  on  the  latter,  tongues 
of  fire.  On  the  one,  God  came  down  to  give  the  Commandments;  on 
the  other,  God  the  Holy  Ghost  came  down  to  bring  priceless  graces 
for  the  observance  of  the  Commandments. 

No  more  barriers.  The  boundaries ,  set  round  the  mountain ,  were 
meant  to  say  to  the  Israelites:  "You  are  not  worthy  on  account  of 
your  sins  to  approach  the  Lord."  Now,  the  barriers,  which  separate 
man  from  God,  are  removed  by  Jesus  Christ.  We  dare  now  approach 
God.  We  dare  receive  Him  into  our  very  hearts,  and  unite  ourselves 
to  Him  in  the  closest  manner. 

III.  Application. 

Thank  God  that  He  has,  by  the  Ten  Commandments,  shown 
you  the  road  to  heaven.  Take  the  trouble  to  learn  the 
meaning  of  the  Commandments  thoroughly.  Ask  yourself, 
which  Commandment  you  have  most  sinned  against,  and 
pray  to  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  gift  of  holy  fear. 

The  Israelites  had  to  prepare  themselves  for  the  hearing 
of  God's  voice ,  by  the  sanctification  of  their  senses.  How 
much  more  ought  we  to  prepare  ourselves  for  receiving  God 
into  our  hearts  in  Holy  Communion. 

Chapter  XXXVII. 
THE    GOLDEN    CALF. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

MOSES  again  ascended  the  mountain,  and  remained  there 
forty  days  and  forty  nights  conversing  with  God  K 
And,  when  God  had  finished  speaking  with  Moses,  He  gave 
him  two  tables  of  stone,  on  which  were  written  the  Ten 
Commandments2.  Now  the  people,  seeing  that  Moses  did 
not  come  down  from  the  mountain  as  soon  as  they  expected 3, 
rose  up  against  Aaron  and  besought  him,  saying:  "Make 
us  gods ,  that  may  go  before  us.  For ,  as  to  this  Moses, 
the  man  that  brought  us  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  we 
know  not  what  has  befallen  him." 

Hoping  to  dissuade  them  from  their  impious  project,  Aaron 
replied:  "Take  the  golden  ear-rings  from  the  ears  of  your 
wives,  and  your  sons  and  daughters,  and  bring  them  to  me." 


THE  GOLDEN  CALF. 


181 


Contrary  to  all  expectation4,  they  brought  their  rings  to 
Aaron,  who,  fearing  to  offer  resistance,  accepted  them,  and 
made  a  molten  calf5,  and  built  an  altar.  And  the  people 
exclaimed:  "These  are  thy  gods,  0  Israel,  that  have  brought 
thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt."  Next  morning  they  offered 
holocausts  and  peace- victims ,  and  began  to  eat  and  drink 
and  to  dance,  after  the  manner  of  the  Egyptians. 

1  Moses  passed  the  forty  days  and  forty  nights  without  food,  and 
in  prayer  and  contemplation,  and  was  instructed  by  God  about  the 
making  of  the  tabernacle  and  the  worship  of  God.  —  2  The  tables 
of  the  Commandments  were  the  document  of  the  Covenant.  On  the 
first  table  were  written  the  first  three  Commandments,  which  teach 
us  our  duty  towards  God.  On  the  second  were  the  seven  others, 
which  relate  to  our  duty  towards  our  neighbour.  —  3  They  believed 
that  some  misfortune  had  befallen  Moses ,  and  that  God  would  now 
no  longer  be  with  them.  This,  however,  was  not  the  real  cause  of 
their  idolatry,  the  plea  of  his  absence  was  only  an  excuse.  The 
real  causes  were  the  weakness  of  their  faith  and  their  sensuality, 
which  made  them  crave  for  the  low  and  dissolute  pleasures  of  idolatry. 
—  4  Aaron  had  reckoned  that  they  would  rather  give  up  their  project 


for  idolatry  proved  to  be   stronger  than   their   vanity  or  avarice.  — 


182  CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

5  They  insisted  on  a  calf  being  made  in  imitation  of  the  Egyptian  worship 
of  Apis.   The  gold  was  melted  on  the  fire,  and  then  cast  into  a  mould. 

Meanwhile  Moses  came  down  from  the  mountain  with  the 

two  tables  of  stone,  whereon  God  Himself  had  written  His 

Commandments.  When  he  heard  the  shouts  of  the  people,  and 

saw  them  dance  before  the  golden  calf,  he  dashed  the  tables 

to  the  ground  and  broke  them  6  at  the  foot  of  the  mount.  Then, 

laying  hold  of  the  calf,  he  burnt  it  and  beat  it  to  powder 7. 

He   severely  rebuked  Aaron   for   yielding   to   the  wicked 

desires  of  the  people.     Then,  standing   in  the  gate  of  the 

camp,  he  said:  "If  any  man  be  on  the  Lord's  side,  let  him 

join  with  me."    And  all  the  sons  of  Levi 8  gathered  around 

him.    Then,  Moses  ordered  them   to  take  their  swords,  go 

through  the  camp,  and  slay  every  man,  whom  they  found 

practising  idolatry.    They  did  as  they  were  commanded,  and 

about  twenty-three  thousand  men  were  put  to  death  that  day. 

6  The  people,  having  broken  their  covenant  with  God,  Moses  broke 

the  words   of  the   covenant.     He    meant  also  to  show  by  this  action 

that  the   people   had    proved   themselves  unworthy  of  the  benefits  of 

the  law.  —  7  He  ground  it  into  gold  dust.   He  did  this  to  make  the 

people   understand   the   utter  nothingness   of  idols,  and  the  folly  of 

worshipping  them.  —  8  the  descendants  of  Jacob's  son  Levi.   Most  of 

the  tribe  of  Levi  had  refrained  from  the  worship  of  the  golden  calf. 

Next  day,  Moses  again  ascended  the  mountain,  and  earnestly 
entreated  the  Lord  for  His  ungrateful  people.  But  the  Lord 
said:  "Let  me  alone  that  I  may  destroy  them."  Still  Moses 
insisted,  saying:  "I  beseech  Thee,  this  people  hath  sinned: 
either  forgive  them  this  trespass,  or,  if  Thou  do  not,  strike 
me  out  of  the  book  that  Thou  hast  written."9 

The  Lord  heard  his  prayer,  and  ordered  him  to  cut  two 
other  tables  of  stone.  Moses  obeyed,  and  on  those  tables 
the  Lord  again  wrote  the  Ten  Commandments.  But,  when 
Moses  came  down  from  the  mountain  with  the  tables  in  his 
hands,  his  face  was  so  radiant 10  with  glory  that  the  Israelites 
were  afraid  to  come  near ;  hence  he  veiled  his  face,  whenever 
he  spoke  to  the  people.  From  this  terrible  punishment,  inflicted 
upon  the  Israelites,  we  may  learn  what  a  fearful  thing  it 
is  to  offend  God.  Moses,  the  mediator  of  the  Old  Testament, 
is  a  figure  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Mediator  of  the  New  Testament, 


THE  GOLDEN  CALF.  183 

The  prayer  of  Moses  for  his  people  teaches  us  in  a  striking- 
manner  that  the  intercession  of  the  saints  has  great  power 
to  avert  the  chastisements  of  God. 

9  The  book,  in  which  are  written  the  names  of  the  just,  and  heirs 
to  heaven.  By  this  forcible  language  Moses  wished  to  say:  "I  (if 
I  can  do  so  without  sin)  will  renounce  eternal  life  rather  than  that 
this  whole  people  should  perish."  —  10  with  a  wonderful,  supernatural 
brilliancy.  Therefore,  Moses  is  always  drawn  with  two  rays  of  light 
on  his  brow  (see  pictures  pp.  167.  171). 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Mercy  of  God.  The  people  of  Israel  had  sinned  horribly 
against  God  by  their  idolatry,  and  yet,  at  Moses's  intercession, 
He  forgave  them. 

Idolatry.  The  weak  people  were  most  ungrateful  and 
faithless  to  God.  The  Lord  had  done  such  great  things  for 
them!  Only  forty  days  before,  they  had,  full  of  holy  fear, 
heard  His  voice  and  had  repeatedly  promised  obedience  to 
His  Commandments;  and  yet,  now  they  transgressed  the 
first  and  most  important  of  them ,  and  forsook  Him  to 
worship  idols.  St.  Paul  calls  lust  and  covetousness  idolatry. 
Whenever  a  man  loves  anything  more  than  he  loves  God, 
he  is  guilty  of  idolatry. 

Pleasure-seeking  and  sensuality  lead  to  many  sins,  and, 
finally,  to  unbelief  and  impiety. 

Fear  of  man.  Aaron  sinned  grievously.  It  was  from  fear 
of  man,  fear  for  his  life,  that  he  sinned.  He  ought  to  have 
died  rather  than  assist  the  people  in  their  terrible  sin. 

Righteous  anger.  The  anger  of  Moses  was  not  sinful  anger ; 
it  was,  rather,  a  holy  zeal  for  God's  honour,  and  the  good 
of  the  people.  He  who  loves  God,  cannot  feel  indifferent 
when  he  sees  Him  being  offended ;  and  he  who  really  loves 
his  neighbour,  must  be  pained  when  he  sees  him  walking 
on  the  road  to  hell.  We  ought,  therefore,  to  prevent  sin, 
whenever  we  can ;  punish  it,  when  we  have  the  right  to  do 
so;  and  pray  zealously  for  the  conversion  of  sinners. 

Intercession  for  sinners  is  pleasing  to  God.  We  can  see 
this  by  the  way  in  which  God  forgave  the  people  their 
great  sin,  when  Moses  interceded  for  them. 


184  CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

Love  of  our  neighbour.  Moses's  love  for  his  people  was 
truly  wonderful.  He  even  offered  to  sacrifice  himself  that  they 
might  be  spared,  and  not  cast  off  by  God.  He  sought  neither 
his  own  honour  nor  advantage,  but  only  the  good  of  his  people. 

Moses,  the  eighth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Through  Moses 
God  instituted  the  Old  Law,  on  which  account  he  is  called 
the  mediator  of  the  Old  Law.  As  such,  Moses  was  a  striking 
type  of  Jesus  Christ,  Who  instituted  the  New  Law.  Moses, 
as  a  child,  was  condemned  to  death  by  a  cruel  king,  and 
was  saved  in  a  wonderful  way:  Jesus  Christ  was  condemned 
by  Herod,  and  also  wonderfully  saved.  Moses  forsook  the 
king's  court  so  as  to  help  his  persecuted  brethren:  the  Son 
of  God  left  the  glory  of  heaven  to  save  us  sinners.  Moses 
prepared  himself  in  the  desert  for  his  vocation,  he  freed 
his  people  from  slavery,  and  proved  his  divine  mission  by 
great  miracles :  Jesus  Christ  proved  by  still  greater  miracles 
that  he  was  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God.  Moses  was  the 
advocate  of  his  people:  Jesus  was  our  advocate  with  His 
Father  on  the  Cross,  and  is  eternally  so  in  heaven.  Moses 
was  the  law-giver  of  his  people  and  announced  to  them  the 
word  of  God:  Jesus  Christ  is  the  supreme  law-giver,  and 
not  only  announced  God's  word,  but  is  Himself  the  Eternal 
Word  made  flesh.  Moses  was  the  leader  of  the  people  to  the 
Promised  Land :  Jesus  is  our  leader  on  our  road  to  heaven. 

The  fruits  of  prayer.  After  Moses  had  fasted  and  prayed  a  second 
forty  days  on  the  mountain,  his  countenance  was  glorified,  and  heavenly 
rays  shone  forth  from  it.  This  shows  us  that  fervent  prayer  and 
communion  with  God  ennoble  a  man,  purify  his  heart  and  mind,  and 
make  him  heavenly  minded.  The  saints  of  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testament  became  holy  by  dint  of  fervent  prayer  and  contemplation. 

III.  Application. 

I  am  sure  you  detest  the  ingratitude  and  faithlessness  of 
the  Israelites.  But,  look  into  your  own  heart  and  search 
your  own  conscience  to  see,  whether  you  too  have  not  been 
ungrateful  and  faithless.  What  did  you  promise,  when  you 
were  baptized,  and  when  you  renewed  your  baptismal  vows, 
and  every  time  that  you  have  been  to  confession?  Have 
you  kept  your  promises  ?  Have  you  never  committed  a  mortal 


THE  MAKING  OF  THE  TABERNACLE.  185 

sin?  Do  you  not  know  that  mortal  sin  is  an  execrable 
ingratitude  towards  your  loving  Redeemer  ?  Just  think  how 
weak  and  wavering  you  are!  So,  do  not  trust  in  yourself, 
but  pray  humbly  for  God's  grace,  and  especially  for  the 
grace  of  perseverance. 

Moses  spent  forty  days  in  prayer,  and  yet,  was  not  weary, 
for  prayer  was  his  joy,  his  comfort  and  his  strength.  All 
the  saints  of  both  the  Old  and  New  Testament  have  prayed 
willingly.  How  is  it  with  you  ?  We  can  learn  to  pray  only  by 
means  of  prayer.  In  this,  as  in  other  things,  "practice  makes 
perfect".  Never  neglect  your  prayers,  and  try  to  be  very 
recollected  and  devout  in  the  service  of  God.  Put  yourself  in 
the  presence  of  God  several  times  each  day,  and  thus  you 
will  learn  how  to  pray  well,  and  to  take  pleasure  in  prayer. 

Chapter  XXXVIII. 
THE  MAKING  OF  THE  TABERNACLE. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

ITHERTO  the  Israelites  had  no  fixed  place  of  worship, 


H 


nor,  properly  speaking,  any  priesthood.  Their  patriarchs 
had  offered  sacrifice  to  God;  now  in  one  place,  now  in 
another.  In  later  times,  the  heads  of  families  had  exercised 
the  priestly  functions ;  but  this  state  of  things  was  no  longer 
to  exist.  Moses,  while  conversing  with  the  Lord  on  the 
mountain1,  had  received  from  Him  the  clearest  and  most 
definite  directions ,  regarding  divine  worship ,  with  all  the 
ceremonies,  that  were  to  accompany  it. 

Moses,  therefore,  built2  a  shrine,  or  Tabernacle,  that  could 
be  taken  apart  and  carried  from  place  to  place3.  It  was 
a  portable  tabernacle,  or  church,  as  we  would  call  it,  and 
well  suited  to  the  wandering  life  of  the  children  of  Israel. 
It  was  made  of  the  most  precious  wood.  Its  length  was 
thirty,  its  breadth  ten,  and  its  height  also  ten  cubits.  The 
boards  were  overlaid  with  plates  of  gold,  and  furnished 
with  sockets  of  silver.  It  was  divided  into  two  parts:  the 
fore  part,  being  larger,  was  called  the  Sanctuary;  the  further 
part,  being  smaller,  was  called  the  Holy  of  Holies. 


186  CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

1  The  first  time  (Chapt.  XXXVII).  —  2  The  people  brought  Moses 
gold,  silver,  precious  stones,  and  costly  stuffs,  with  which  to  make  the 
Tabernacle,  sacred  vessels  &c.  &c.  They  brought  so  much  to  him 
that,  at  last,  Moses  had  to  announce  to  them  that  he  could  receive 
no  further  gifts.  They  wished,  by  this  generosity,  to  make  reparation 
for  their  act  of  idolatry,  and  show  their  gratitude  for  the  benefits 
they  had  received.  —  3  It  could  be  partially  taken  to  pieces,  and 
carried.  This  had  to  be  done,  because  the  Israelites  had  no  fixed 
dwelling  place,  and  were  always  wandering  about. 

On  the  inside,  he  covered  the  roof  and  the  walls  with 
rich  tapestry,  and  on  the  outside  with  skins  and  furs.  More- 
over, to  the  ceiling  of  the  Holy  of  Holies,  as  also  to  its 
inner  walls,  he  fastened  a  most  precious  weaving  in  very 
brilliant  colours,  adorned  with  an  embroidery  of  cherubim4 
and  palms  and  flowers.  At  the  entrance  of  the  Sanctuary 
was  hung  a  richly  embroidered  curtain 5 ;  and  one,  more  costly 
still,  separated  the  Sanctuary  from  the  Holy  of  Holies.  In 
the  Holy  of  Holies  he  placed  the  Ark6  of  the  Covenant, 
which  was  covered  with  gold  within  and  without.  At  its 
four  corners,  on  the  outside,  were  attached  rings  of  gold, 
through  which  bars,  overlaid  with  gold,  were  passed,  whereby 
to  carry  the  Ark. 

In  the  Ark  he  put  the  tables  of  the  Law.  As  these  tables, 
on  which  the  Ten  Commandments  were  written,  contained 
the  chief  heads  of  the  Old  Covenant,  the  Ark  itself  was 
called  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant.  Later  on,  there  was  placed 
in  the  Ark,  also,  a  vase  filled  with  Manna,  and  the  rod  of 
Aaron.  He  then  placed  over  the  Ark  a  cover,  or  lid,  of 
the  purest  gold,  called  the  Propitiatory,  at  the  ends  of 
which  stood  two  cherubim  of  beaten  gold,  looking  at  each 
other,  and  spreading  their  wings  so  as  to  overshadow  the 
Propitiatory 7. 

4  The  second  of  the  nine  choirs  of  angels.  —  6  a  hanging,  on 
which  designs  were  skilfully  woven.  —    6  a  chest.  —    7  See  picture. 

In  the  Sanctuary  was  a  table,  overlaid  with  gold,  on  which 
were  every  day  placed  the  loaves  of  Proposition,  made  of 
the  finest  flour,  and  unleavened8,  together  with  a  golden 
cup,  filled  with  wine.  On  this  table  also  stood  the  seven- 
branched   candlestick9,  on  which  were   burning,  night   and 


THE  MAKING  OF  THE  TABERNACLE. 


187 


day,  seven  flames,  fed  by  the  purest  oil10.  Before  it  stood 
an  altar  of  incense,  whereon  the  richest  spices  fumed  un- 
ceasingly11. Moses  made  a  court  in  front  of  and  around 
the  Tabernacle,  for  the  gathering  of  the  people12;  and  there 
he  erected  the  altar  of  holocausts,  of  brass,  and  also  a  large 
brazen  Laver  for  the  priests13. 

When   all  was   completed   according   to   God's   command, 
Moses  poured  a  sacred  oil  on  the  Tabernacle,  and  on  all  it 

contained;  and 
then,  a  cloud  u 
covered  the  Ark 
of  the  covenant, 
and  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  filled 
the  Tabernacle, 
and  rested  be- 
tween the  two 
cherubim.  As 
often  as  Moses 
had  occasion 
to  consult  the 
Lord,  he  receiv- 
ed an  answer 
of  the  Lord  from 
the  Propitia- 
tory of  the  Holy 
of  Holies.  As 
the  Tabernacle 
was        divided 

into  two  parts,  so  our  churches  have  two  parts :  one  for  the 
priests,  called  the  sanctuary,  and  another  for  the  faithful, 
called  the  body  of  the  church.  Hence  the  Tabernacle  was  a 
pattern  for  our  Christian  churches. 

8  These  loaves  were  made  in  the  form  of  thin  cakes.  They  were 
placed  before  the  Holy  of  Holies  as  a  standing  offering  on  the  part 
of  the  twelve  tribes,  to  implore  the  Lord  to  look  favourably  on  them. 
For  this  reason,  there  were  twelve  loaves,  six  on  each  dish.  —  9  This 
candlestick  was  made  of  pure  gold,  and  was  of  a  considerable  weight. 
—  10  The  candlestick  is    shown,  standing  near  the   altar  of  incense, 


188  CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

in  the  picture  Chapt.  I  New  Test.  —  u  incense  and  other  sweet  smelling 
gums.  —  l2  The  people  were  allowed  to  enter  only  the  court.  Priests 
alone  might  enter  the  Sanctuary.  —  13  The  priests,  under  pain  of  death, 
had  to  wash  their  feet  and  hands  there,  as  often  as  they  offered 
sacrifice  or  entered   the  Sanctuary.  —  14  in  which  God  was  present. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  immediate  meaning  of  the  building  of  the  Tabernacle. 
The  Ark  of  the  Covenant ,  in  which  were  kept  the  two 
tables  of  the  Law,  was  more  costly  than  anything  else  in 
the  Tabernacle.  By  it  the  Israelites  were  to  be  constantly 
reminded  of  the  covenant,  made  with  God,  as  to  the  strict 
observance  of  the  Commandments.  The  Manna,  which  was 
also  deposited  in  the  Ark,  was  to  remind  them  of  God's 
loving  guidance  and  preservation  of  them,  and  move  them  to 
love  and  trust  Him.  As  cherubim  kept  guard  over  Paradise, 
so  they  now  watched  over  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  they  reminded  the  people  that  they  should 
worship  God,  and  serve  Him  as  willingly  as  do  the  angels 
in  heaven.  The  golden  candlestick  with  its  lights,  always 
burning,  was  an  emblem  of  faith  in  the  true  God,  and 
admonished  the  Israelites  to  live  according  to  that  faith,  to 
avoid  the  works  of  darkness,  and  walk  in  God's  presence. 
The  Laver,  and  the  strict  laws,  regarding  ablutions,  were  to 
remind  the  priests  that  they  ought  to  approach  the  holy 
service  of  God  with  clean  hearts.  The  never  ceasing  smoke, 
ascending  from  the  altar  of  incense,  bade  the  people  to  lift 
up  their  hearts  to  God,  and  send  up  constant  prayers,  like 
incense,  to  heaven.  The  loaves  of  the  Proposition  were  a 
perpetual  exhortation  to  be  grateful  to  God,  from  Whom 
come  all  good  gifts  for  our  souls  as  well  as  our  bodies. 
The  curtain,  which  shut  off  the  Holy  of  Holies,  and  through 
which  even  the  High  Priest  dared  pass  only  once  a  year, 
signified  "that  the  way  into  the  holies  was  not  yet  made 
manifest"  (Hebr.  9,  8).  As  God  was  present  in  the  pillar 
of  cloud,  that  rested  on  the  Ark,  so  the  Tabernacle  was 
God's  dwelling  in  the  midst  of  His  people. 

Its  typical  meaning.  "The  Tabernacle  is  a  parable  of  the 
time  present"  (i.  e.  the  Christian  era),  writes  St.  Paul.    It 


THE  MAKING  OF  THE  TABERNACLE.  189 

foreshadowed  the  Church  of  the  New  Testament  and  its 
houses  of  God.  As  there  was  only  one  Tabernacle,  so  is  there 
only  one  true  Church;  but  as  this  Church  is  Catholic,  or 
universal,  there  are  in  it  many  houses  of  God,  or  churches. 
The  pillar  of  cloud,  resting  on  the  Ark,  is  the  type  of  the 
presence  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  in  the  Catholic 
tabernacles,  in  which  is  reserved  no  mere  earthly  manna, 
but  the  living  bread,  which  came  down  from  heaven.  In 
the  Catholic  Church,  the  altar  of  holocausts  is  the  Cross, 
and  the  table  of  Proposition  the  altar,  on  which  the  holy 
mass  is  daily  offered.  The  altar  of  incense  is  the  prayer, 
constantly  rising  to  heaven,  and  the  golden  candlestick  the 
gospel,  which  is  preached  and  expounded  in  our  churches. 
The  seven  lights  are  the  seven  Sacraments,  which  are  there 
dispensed,  and  the  Laver  is  the  font  and  the  confessional, 
where  we  are  cleansed  from  our  sins  —  or  even  the  stoup 
of  holy  water,  by  the  devout  use  of  which  venial  sins  are 
remitted.  You  can  see,  therefore,  that  in  many  respects  the 
Tabernacle  was  a  type,  which  finds  its  perfect  fulfilment  in 
our  churches;  and  that  even  the  poorest  village-chapel  is 
holier  than  was  the  Tabernacle  of  the  Old  Covenant. 

God's  Goodness  to  the  Israelites  was  exceeding  great,  for 
He  deigned  to  dwell  in  their  midst,  in  a  visible  way  in  the 
pillar  of  cloud.  But  immeasurably  greater  is  God's  love  and 
condescension  to  us,  for  His  Divine  Son  made  Man  dwells 
with  us  not  only  in  one  place,  but  in  thousands  of  different 
churches  and  chapels,  under  the  appearance  of  bread,  blesses 
us,  offers  Himself  up  for  us,  and  feeds  our  souls  with  the 
bread  from  heaven,  that  contains  within  itself  all  sweetness. 

The  veneration  of  images.  By  God's  command  Moses  had 
figures  of  cherubim  embroidered  on  the  hangings  of  the 
Sanctuary,  and  placed  golden  cherubim  on  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant.  These  images  served  for  the  edification  of  the 
Israelites,  and  were  much  honoured  by  them.  It  is  evident, 
therefore,  that  it  is  pleasing  to  God  that  we  should  venerate 
the  images  of  the  angels  and  saints. 

Mary  is  called,  in  the  Litany  of  Loreto,  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  because 
she  is  the  Mother  of  Jesus  Christ,  Who  instituted  the  New  Covenant. 


B 


190  CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

III.  Application. 

We  should  be  zealous  for  the  beauty  of  the  house  of  God. 
" I  have  loved,  0  Lord,  the  beauty  of  Thy  house,  and  the 
place,  where  Thy  glory  dwelleth"  (Ps.  25,  8).  Gladly  visit 
the  church;  and  beware  of  desecrating  it.  Be  careful  how 
you  behave  in  it,  and  how  you  use  holy  water  &c. 

Chapter  XXXIX. 
LAWS  REGULATING  DIVINE  WORSHIP. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

Y  God's  command  Moses  now  prescribed  what  sacrifices 

were  to  be  offered,  together  with  the  manner  of  offering 

JS^  them,  and  the  times  when  they  were 

Tpps  to  be  offered.    Some  of  these  sacri- 

J^^nJBkS        J&  fices  were  bloody,  others  unbloody. 

i    \w¥P*sPfch  ur  ^ne  f°rmer  consisted  of  sheep,  goats 

\    \^SSiBWi|sfc  and  oxen1;  the  latter  of  flour,  fruits, 

A ^\ M Wm mm  W^  oil  and  wine 2.  When  the  thing  offered 

m^^^^^^^^  was  wholly  consumed  on  the  altar, 

\¥mSK^)^Sm  it  was  called  a  holocaust  or  whole 

""\  /sBKHlSP^i)  Durnt  offering ,  and  represented  the 

;  ^SIP^Ft  highest  act  of  adoration  :3.  But,  when 

^^«fl  only  the   fat,  as   the   most  delicate 

«%s|               J&\  Part)  was  burned,  and  the  rest  eaten, 

J§=      EBi!n&.  ^  was   called   either   a   sacrifice   of 

n$EM  ^PW  thanksgiving   for   benefits    received. 

^li|iH  9  £_Vk  or  a  sacrifice  of  expiation  for  sins 

^^BB§3P*5||-  committed 4. 

1  He  who  offered  the  sacrifice,  laid  his  hand  on  the  head  of  the 
victim,  and  then  killed  it.  He  then  either  poured  the  blood  on  to 
the  altar,  or  sprinkled  the  people  with  it.  This  pouring  of  the  blood 
on  the  altar  was  the  most  important  part  of  the  sacrifice,  for,  by  the 
shedding  of  its  blood,  the  life  of  the  victim  was  offered.  —  2  For 
this  reason  they  were  called  meat-offerings.  All  these  offerings,  even 
the  incense ,  were  sprinkled  with  salt ,  which ,  being  a  preservative 
against  corruption,  is  a  type  of  purity.  It  was  also  a  token  of  friendship 
and  in  this  case  of  friendship  with  God ;  wherefore  it  was  called 
the  salt  of  the  covenant.   Neither  leaven  nor  honey  might  be  presented 


LAWS  REGULATING  DIVINE  WORSHIP.  191 

on  the  altar,  for  they,  being  conducive  to  fermentation  or  corruption, 
were  regarded  as  figures  of  sin.  —  3  Every  morning  and  every  evening, 
a  one  year  old  lamb  was  offered  as  a  holocaust.  This  was  called 
the  perpetual  sacrifice.  —  4  or  sin-offering.  In  conjunction  with  these 
sacrifices ,  there  was  obligatory  at  least  a  general  confession  of  the 
sins  committed.  For  particular  sins  special  sin-offerings  were  com- 
manded and,  before  such  could  be  offered,  the  offender  had  to  confess 
the  sin  explicitly  to  the  priest.  No  Israelite,  who  had  transgressed 
the  law  in  a  grave  matter,  was  allowed,  under  pain  of  death,  to  offer 
either  a  burnt  offering  or  a  peace-offering,  unless  he  had  first  made 
a  sin-offering,  and  confessed  his  sin. 

Moses  also  instituted  the  feasts  of  the  Lord ;  for  the  Lord 
had  told  him  to  establish,  first,  the  Feast  of  the  Pasch,  or 
Passover,  in  memory  of  the  paschal  lamb,  eaten  by  the 
children  of  Israel  on  the  night  when  the  first-born  of  the 
Egyptians  were  slain,  and  also  in  memory  of  their  deliverance 
from  Egyptian  bondage.  For  seven  days  they  were  to  eat 
unleavened  bread  while  celebrating  that  feast5. 

Secondly,  they  were  to  keep  holy,  seven  weeks  after,  the 
Feast  of  Pentecost,  in  remembrance  of  the  law,  given  them 
on  Mount  Sinai.  On  that  day,  they  were  to  bring  the  first- 
fruits  of  their  harvest 6  as  an  offering  to  the  Lord.  Thirdly, 
when  the  harvest  was  all  gathered  in,  they  were  to  solemnize 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  during  which  they  were  to  take 
branches  of  trees  and  build  tents7,  and  dwell  in  them,  so 
that  their  descendants  might  learn  how  the  Lord  had  made 
their  fathers  dwell  in  tents  in  the  deserts.  On  these  three 
festivals  all  the  men8  of  Israel  were  to  appear  before  the 
Lord  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  later  on  in  the  Temple9. 

There  was  also  to  be  a  day  of  expiation10,  kept  as  a 
most  solemn  fast11.  On  that  day,  the  High  Priest  was  to 
sacrifice  a  calf  in  atonement  for  his  own  sins,  and  a  he- 
goat  for  the  sins  of  the  people.  After  the  sacrifice  he  was 
to  raise  the  veil,  and  enter  into  the  Holy  of  Holies i2,  taking 
with  him  the  blood  of  the  victim  and  the  golden  censer; 
he  was  then  to  incense  the  Propitiatory,  or  cover  of  the 
Ark,  and  to  sprinkle  it  and  the  front  of  the  Ark  with 
the  blood13. 

5  It  was ,   therefore ,   also   called  the  Feast   of  unleavened   bread 
(Chapt.  XXXIII).  —  6  The  harvest  is  much  earlier  in  those  countries, 


192  CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

than  it  is  with  us.  —  7  hence  the  name  of  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  — 
8  from  twelve  years  old  and  upward.  Old  men,  women  and  children 
were  not  bound  to  appear,  but  they  might  take  part  in  the  pilgrimage, 
if  they  chose.  —  9  Besides  these  annual  feasts ,  every  seventh  year 
was  set  apart  as  a  year  of  the  Sabbath  or  of  rest,  and  every  fiftieth 
year  as  a  year  of  the  Jubilee.  In  the  year  of  rest,  no  work  of  cul- 
tivation of  the  earth  was  allowed,  and  everything,  that  grew  naturally 
on  it,  was  common  property;  nor  could  any  debts  be  claimed  during 
the  year.  The  Jubilee-year  was  also  a  year  of  rest  from  labour,  and 
of  exemption  for  debtors.  In  that  year,  moreover,  all  slaves  received 
their  freedom;  and  possessions,  that  had  been  sold,  reverted  to  their 
first  owner  without  purchase,  the  reason  for  this  being  given  by  God 
in  these  words:  "The  land  shall  not  be  sold  for  ever:  because  it  is 
mine,  and  you  are  strangers  and  sojourners  with  me."  By  this  decree, 
the  impoverishment  of  individual  families  and  tribes  was  prevented. 
—  10  kept  five  days  before  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  —  ll  Every 
person ,  with  the  exception  of  the  sick  and  children ,  were  bound  to 
observe  a  strict  fast,  touching  no  food  till  after  sunset.  They  also 
had  to  pray,  confess  their  sins,  and  implore  God's  mercy.  —  12  This 
was  the  only  day  in  the  year,  on  which  he  entered  it.  —  13  After 
his  return  from  the  Holy  of  Holies,  he  took  another  goat,  and,  having 
laid  his  hands  on  its  head,  he  confessed  the  sins  of  the  whole  people, 
and  then  drove  the  goat  away  into  the  wilderness,  laden  with  the 
people's  sins.  This  was  a  typical  ceremony,  and  was  meant  to  indicate 
that  the  sins  of  the  people  were  taken  away  and  lost  in  the  infinitude 
of  God's  mercy. 

Finally,  Moses  consecrated  Aaron  as  High  Priest,  his  sons 
as  priests,  and  the  other  men  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  as  ministers 
of  the  Sanctuary14.  He  purified  Aaron  with  water15,  and 
clothed  him  with  divers  sacred  vestments16,  chief  of  which 
was  the  ephod,  a  marvellous  work  of  gold  and  purple  and 
fine  linen,  the  edges  of  which  were  ornamented  with  rich 
embroidery  of  gold. 

He  suspended  from  his  neck  the  rational,  on  which  were 
twelve  stones,  each  bearing  the  name  of  one  of  the  twelve 
tribes;  he  placed  upon  his  head  the  mitre17,  in  the  middle 
of  which,  in  front,  was  a  gold  plate,  with  the  inscription: 
"The  Holy  of  the  Lord"18.  Finally,  he  poured  oil  upon  his 
head,  and  consecrated  him.  After  his  sons  and  the  Levites 
had  also  been  consecrated,  Aaron  advanced  to  the  altar, 
and,  having  offered  a  victim,  stretched  his  hand  over  the 
people,  and  blessed  them. 


LAWS  REGULATING  DIVINE  WORSHIP.  193 


And  behold!  a  fire  came  forth  from  the  pillar  of  cloud 
and  consumed  the  holocaust.  Seeing  which,  the  people  fell 
prostrate  on  the  ground,  praising  the  Lord.  All  the  public 
worship  of  the  Israelites  was  figurative.  The  bloody  sacrifices 
signified  the  bloody  Sacrifice  of  the  Cross,  which  alone  truly 
appeased  the  divine  wrath.  The  unbloody  sacrifices  pre-figured 
the  unbloody  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  by  which  the  fruit  of 
the  Sacrifice  of  the  Cross  is  constantly  applied  to  us,  and 
which  is,  at  once,  a  sacrifice  of  adoration,  of  thanksgiving, 
of  prayer,  and  of  expiation.  The  High  Priest  was  a  figure  of 
Jesus  Christ,  Who,  on  the  Cross,  offered  Himself  to  the 
Eternal  Father  in  a  bloody  manner,  and  who  daily,  at 
Mass,  offers  Himself  in  an  unbloody  manner  at  the  hands 
of  the  priest. 

14  Hitherto  the  first-born  son  had  been  set  apart  for  the  service  of 
God ,  but  from  henceforward  the  tribe  of  Levi  was  chosen  for  the 
priestly  office  and  the  service  of  the  Tabernacle.  In  other  words, 
hitherto  priests  had  been  taken  from  all  tribes  and  all  families,  but 
Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  9 


194  CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

now,  a  peculiar  priesthood  was  instituted.  The  priestly  office  was 
hereditary  in  Aaron's  family.  The  first-born  of  this  family  was  always 
to  be  High  Priest,  and  the  other  male  descendants  priests.  The  other 
men  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  were  to  assist  the  priests  in  the  service  of 
God,  and  were  known  by  the  name  of  Levites.  —  15  in  the  brass  laver 
in  the  outer  court.  —  16  namely  a  white  linen  tunic,  reaching  to 
the  ankles  (something  like  the  alb  worn  by  our  priests) ,  a  girdle  of 
many  colours  and  a  mitre.  The  picture  on  page  190  represents 
the  High  Priest  in  his  vestments.  Under  the  breast-plate  or  rational 
you  see  a  short  vestment.  Under  this  is  a  purple  tunic  without  sleeves 
(to  which  we  may  compare  the  chasuble  worn  by  priests  when  they 
celebrate  Mass),  ornamented  with  embroidered  pomegranates  and  gold 
bells.  Under  this  again  is  the  long  white  tunic,  the  girdle  round 
which,  with  its  tassels,  is  to  be  seen.  —  17  of  purple.  —  18  which 
meant  that  the  wearer  was  a  sacred  person,  consecrated  to  God. 

II.  Commentary. 

Sacrifice  is  the  highest  and  most  perfect  form  of  worship ; 
therefore,  God  ordained  sacrifices  to  be  the  centre  of  divine 
worship  under  the  Old  Law.  What  was  sacrificed,  was  given 
to  God,  and  had  to  be  wholly  consumed  in  His  honour.  Thus, 
victims  were  killed  and  burnt,  wine  was  poured  out,  and 
incense  was  burnt.  These  actions  were  meant  to  express 
on  the  part  of  him  who  made  the  offering  some  such  thought 
as  this:  "Thou,  0  Lord,  hast  created  all  things!    Everything 

i  comes  from  Thee.  To  Thee  I  owe  my  life  and  all  that  I 
possess!    I  have,  indeed,  deserved  death  at  Thy  hands,  but 

1  as  Thou  dost  not  require  of  me  my  life ,  I  offer  to  Thee 
instead  the  life  of  this  lamb."  The  bloody  sacrifices  were 
sacrifices  of  expiation,  and  for  this  reason  the  priest  laid 
his  hand  on  the  head  of  the  victim,  as  a  token  that  he  laid 
his  sins  on  it,  and  sacrificed  it  as  a  representative  of  himself. 

i  Therefore,  the  only  animals  which  could  be  offered  up,  were 

,  domestic  animals,  which  are  useful  and  valuable  to  man. 
The  ends  of  sacrifice.  By  sacrifices  men  were  1.  taught 
that  they  depended  absolutely  on  God,  and  owed  Him  worship 
and  thanksgiving  as  their  supreme  Lord ;  2.  they  were  roused 
to  a  consciousness  that  they  were  sinners  before  God,  and 
owed  satisfaction *to  the  divine  justice;  3.  they  were  shown 
that  they,  of  themselves,  could  not  make  satisfaction,  but 
required  a  mediator. 


LAWS  REGULATING  DIVINE  WORSHIP.  195 

In  what  lay  the  efficacy  of  sacrifice?  Could  pardon  and 
inward  sanctification  be  obtained  through  the  blood  of  beasts 
which,  themselves,  were  not  clean,  but  lay  under  the  curse 
which  Adam's  sin  had  brought  on  the  earth  ?  No !  these 
sacrifices  could  only  effect  an  outward  justice,  and  a  legal 
purification  by  which  those  who  offered  the  sacrifice  were 
made  clean  in  the  eyes  of  the  law,  and  were  enabled  once 
more  to  take  part  in  the  public  worship  of  God.  But,  in 
so  far  as  these  sacrifices  were  types  of  the  one  atoning 
Sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  pointed  to  this  only  source  of 
grace  and  pardon ,  they  could  effect  sanctification  and 
pardon,  provided  he  who  offered  the  sacrifice  believed  in 
the  future  Saviour,  and  repented  of  his  sins.  This  faith, 
this  hope,  and  this  repentance  were  stimulated  by  sacrifice, 
and  in  virtue  of  this  intention  he  received  pardon  and 
grace. 

The  chief  significance  of  the  Old  Testament  sacrifices  lay 
in  their  being  types  of  the  most  holy,  and  world-redeeming 
Sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  bloody  sacrifices  were  typical 
of  His  bloody  Sacrifice  on  the  Cross ;  the  unbloody  sacrifices 
were  typical  of  the  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass ;  and  the  meat- 
offerings, of  Holy  Communion.  All  the  sacrifices  of  the  Old 
Law  found  their  fulfilment  in  the  Sacrifice  of  our  Lord, 
because,  firstly,  His  was  a  real  vicarious  sacrifice,  and, 
secondly,  it  had  infinite  efficacy  to  blot  out  all  sin,  and  win 
grace  for  all  men.  It  was  a  real  vicarious  sacrifice,  for 
Jesus  Christ  is  truly  man,  and  took  the  sins  of  His  brethren 
upon  Him.  It  had  infinite  efficacy,  because  Jesus  Christ  is 
also  true  God,  and  made  infinite  satisfaction  to  the  divine 
justice.  The  Sacrifice  of  Christ  was  a  true  holocaust,  because 
He  shed  all  His  Blood,  and  was  consumed  by  the  fire  of 
infinite  love  in  honour  of  His  heavenly  Father.  It  was  a 
sin-offering,  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  word,  because  it 
took  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  cancelled  the  debt  of 
man.  It  was  the  greatest  of  peace-offerings,  because  it 
reconciled  heaven  to  earth,  and  brought  peace  to  the  world. 
Since  our  Lord  offered  Himself  as  a  Sacrifice,  the  typical 
sacrifices  of  the  Old  Law  have  lost  all  efficacy. 

9* 


196  CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

The  confession  of  sins  required  for  sin-offerings  is  typical  of  the 
holy  Sacrament  of  Penance,  without  recourse  to  which  no  sinner  dare 
partake  of  the  "meat-offering"  of  Holy  Communion. 

The  immediate  meaning  of  the  Jewish  feasts.  The  religious 
feasts  of  the  Jewish  people  had  a  double  meaning,  retro- 
spective and  prophetical.  The  feasts  served  immediately  to 
remind  the  people  of  the  wonderful  graces  and  benefits 
which  they  had  received  from  God.  The  Christian  feasts, 
also,  are  intended  to  remind  us  of,  and  make  us  grateful 
for  the  grace  of  sanctification  and  redemption. 

The  typical  meaning  of  the  Jewish  feasts.  Their  significance 
lies  in  this  that  they  were  types  of  the  Christian  feasts,  and 
pointed  towards  that  manifestation  of  grace  which  is  the 
foundation  of  these  last.  You  learnt  in  Chapters  XXXIII 
and  XXXVI  the  connexion  between  the  Jewish  feasts  of 
the  Pasch  and  Pentecost  and  our  Easter  and  Pentecost.  The 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  corresponds  with  our  Corpus  Christi, 
which  is  solemnized  in  the  open  air,  and  is  a  Feast  of  thanks- 
giving to  God,  that  Jesus  Christ,  God  made  Man,  has  given 
Himself  to  be  our  Leader  through  the  wilderness  of  this  life, 
and  feeds  our  souls  with  the  true  Bread  from  heaven.  Our 
great  day  of  expiation  is  Good  Friday,  on  which  day  Jesus 
Christ  was  crucified  outside  the  walls  for  the  sins  of  the 
world.  Even  as  the  Jewish  High  Priest  went  into  the  Holy 
of  Holies  on  the  Day  of  Atonement,  to  take  there  the  blood 
of  the  sacrifice,  so  Christ,  "being  come  an  High  Priest  of 
the  good  things  to  come,  by  a  greater  and  more  perfect 
tabernacle  (i.  e.  heaven),  not  made  with  hand,  that  is,  not  of 
this  creation,  neither  by  the  blood  of  goats  and  of  calves, 
but  by  His  own  blood,  entered  once  into  the  Holies,  having 
obtained  eternal  redemption"  (Hebr.  9,  11.  12).  This  means 
that,  by  His  death  on  Good  Friday,  Jesus  Christ  won  for 
us  justification,  sanctification,  and  salvation,  and  then  went 
to  heaven,  offered  the  merits  of  His  Passion  and  Death  to 
His  heavenly  Father,  and  won  that  redemption  for  us  which 
will  last  for  all  eternity.  The  great  year  of  Jubilee  which 
began  with  the  Day  of  Atonement,  is  a  beautiful  type  of 
the  Christian  era    which   will   last   for   ever,  and   in  which 


LAWS  REGULATING  DIVINE  WORSHIP.  197 

man,  by  the  atoning  Death  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  freed  from 
the  slavery  of  sin  and  Satan,  and  is  once  more  made  heir  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven. — The  recurring  years  of  rest  and 
jubilee  correspond  with  our  years  of  jubilee  in  which  the 
Church  throws  open  her  treasuries  of  grace,  and  offers  to 
us  indulgences  from  the  temporal  punishment  of  sin,  so 
that  we  may  be  cleansed  from  all  guilt,  and  made  partakers 
of  the  heavenly  inheritance. 

A  retrospect.  If  we  look  back  to  this  Chapter  and  to  the 
last,  we  see  that  the  Tabernacle  and  its  institution,  the 
sacred  persons,  the  sacrifices  and  feasts  have  one  and  all  a 
typical  meaning;  and,  furthermore,  that  all  these  types  find 
their  fulfilment  in  the  Catholic  Church,  and  in  her  alone; 
for  she  alone  has  priest  and  High  Priest,  altar  and  sacrifice.  It 
follows  then  that  the  Catholic  Church  alone  is  the  true  Church, 
founded  by  God,   and  foreshadowed  in  the  Old  Testament. 

The  festal  assemblies  and  pilgrimages  of  the  people  of  Israel   had 
a  very  beneficial  effect.  They  served,  firstly,  to  preserve  and  increase  , 
the  belief  in  the  true  God,  and  thus  to  keep  the  people  from  idolatry. 
Secondly,  they  served  to   foster  unity  and  a  common   feeling  among] 
the  people,  who  came  to  look  upon  themselves  as  all  members  of  one  I 
body,  confessors  of  the  same  faith,  and  heirs  of  the  same  promises,    I 

Two  significant  facts.  The  entrance  of  the  High  Priest  into  the 
Holy  of  Holies,  and  his  blood-offering  there  on  the  Day  of  Atonement, 
signified  that  reconciliation  with  God  can  only  proceed  from  His 
throne;  and  that  one  day  the  Redeemer  would  rend  asunder  the  veil 
of  separation  and  open  the  way  into  the  Holy  of  Holies.  Secondly,  it 
was  foreshown  that  even  as  the  goat  which  was  the  sin-offering  of 
the  people  had  to  be  burnt  outside  the  camp ,  so  Jesus  Christ ,  the 
Lamb  of  God,  laden  with  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  would  be  crucified 
outside  the  city.  He  is  the  great,  the  true  atoning  Sacrifice  to  Whom 
all  the  ceremonies  of  the  Day  of  Atonement  pointed. 

Reward  of  faithfulness.  The  tribe  of  Levi  was  smaller 
than  the  others,  but  it  had  become  less  infected  with  idolatry ; 
and  on  account  of  its  faithfulness,  God  chose  it  for  His 
special  service. 

The  High  Priest  was  the  spiritual  head  of  the  people,  the 
visible  representative  of  God,  and  the  mediator  between  God 
and  the  people.  He  had  the  privilege  of  entering  the  Holy 
of  Holies  once  a  year ;  and,  later  on,  of  anointing  the  kings. 


198  CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

The  Priests  had  the  right  and  the  duty  to  offer  sacrifice, 
to  enter  the  Sanctuary,  to  keep  burning  the  lights  of  the 
seven  branched  candlestick  and  the  sacred  fire  for  the 
burnt  offerings,  to  bless  the  people,  and  pray  for  them,  and 
instruct  them  in  the  law. 

The  Levites  were  the  assistants  of  the  priests.  They  might 
not  enter  the  Sanctuary,  but  had  the  care  of  the  Tabernacle, 
and,  later  on,  of  the  Temple.  They  assisted  with  the 
sacrifices,  sacred  canticles,  and  the  instruction  of  the  people, 
and  purified  the  sacred  vessels. 

The  Priests  were  to  be  holy.  "Let  them,  therefore,  be  holy, 
because  I  am  holy",  said  the  Lord  (Lev.  21,  8).  Whenever 
they  had  any  service  to  perform  in  the  Sanctuary,  they  had, 
under  pain  of  death,  to  keep  themselves  away  from  any 
defilement  or  intoxicating  drink.  This  purity  of  life  was 
signified  by  their  white  tunic;  and  purity  of  intention,  by 
the  white  mitre. 

The  High  Priest  was  to  be  especially  distinguished  for  piety 
and  virtue.  The  inscription  on  the  gold  plate  on  his  mitre 
meant  that  he  belonged  entirely  to  God,  and  that  his  thoughts 
were  to  be  constantly  fixed  on  Him.  The  breast-plate,  on 
which  were  inscribed  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes,  told 
that  he  was  to  bear  the  people  lovingly  in  his  heart,  and 
be  careful  for  their  welfare.  The  bells  on  his  upper  tunic, 
which  sounded  at  each  step  he  took,  reminded  him  that,  by 
word  and  deed,  he  had  to  be  a  witness  to   the  true   faith. 

Jesus,  the  Anointed.  It  was  only  when  the  priesthood 
was  first  instituted  that  priests  were  anointed ;  later  on,  this 
was  not  done.  But  every  High  Priest  was  anointed  when 
he  entered  on  his  office,  and  every  High  Priest  was  called 
the  Anointed.  Jesus  Christ,  being  the  great  and  eternal 
High  Priest  Who  always  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us 
(Hebr.  7,  25),  is  especially  called  "Christ",  or  the  Anointed. 

The  priesthood  of  the  Old  Covenant,  a  type  of  the  priesthood  of  the 
New  Covenant.  As  there  is  a  gradation  in  the  former,  so  is  there  in  the 
latter.  There  are  the  Pope,  bishops,  priests  and  the  orders  below  them, 
especially  the  Deacons  who  are  also  called  Levites.  As  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment there  was  only  one  High  Priest,  so  the  Christian  Church  has  only 


LAWS  REGULATING  DIVINE  WORSHIP.  199 

one  High  Priest,  the  Pope,  who  is  the  visible  representative  of  our 
invisible  High  Priest,  Jesus  Christ.  And  even  as  the  High  Priest 
of  the  Old  Testament  was  called  "Holy  of  the  Lord",  so  do  we  call 
the  Pope  "Holy  Father",  because  he  fills  the  holiest  office  on  earth. 

The  Christian  priesthood  is  far  higher  than  the  Jewish  priesthood. 
The  latter  was  propagated  by  descent  of  the  body,  the  former  is 
perpetuated  by  a  spiritual  descent,  or  succession,  by  means  of  Holy 
Order,  which  is  one  of  the  seven  sacraments.  The  Jewish  priests 
could  only  offer  typical  sacrifices:  Christian  priests  offer  up  the  true 
Lamb  of  God  Who  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world.  The  former 
partook  of  earthly  meat-offerings;  the  latter  receive  the  priceless 
Flesh  and  Blood  of  the  Divine  Saviour.  The  Jewish  priests  prayed 
for  the  people :  the  Christian  priests  remember  them  daily  in  the  holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  and  also,  except  in  Masses  for  the  dead,  give 
their  blessing  to  the  faithful. 

Holy  virgins,  as  well  as  the  Levites,  were  employed  in  the  service 
of  the  Tabernacle  and,  later  on,  of  the  Temple.  They  attended  to 
the  linen  &c,  and  served  the  Lord  with  prayer  and  fasting.  Tradition 
tells  us  that  Mary,  the  Mother  of  God,  was  dedicated  to  the  service 
of  the  Temple  at  a  very  early  age. 

III.  Application. 

Thank  God  for  the  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  and  assist 
regularly  and  devoutly  at  it.  There  you  can  receive  priceless 
gifts,  for  the  Sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  source  of  all 
grace. 

Keep  the  Feasts  of  the  Church,  devoutly  contemplating 
the  sacred  mysteries  of  our  redemption,  and  avoid  extravagant 
amusements  on  those  days:  " Rejoice  in  the  Lord"  (Phil.  4,  4). 

Have  great  reverence  for  the  priesthood.  Priests  are  the 
"ministers  of  Christ  and  the  dispensers  of  the  mysteries  of 
God"  (1  Cor.  4,  1).  We  should  always  pray  that  there  may 
be  good  priests  in  the  Church. 

Chapter  XL. 
THE    SPIES. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

IN  the  second  year  after  their  departure  from  Egypt,  the 
Israelites  set  out  from  Mount  Sinai  *,  and  pursued  their 
march  to  the  desert  of  Pharan 2.  Thence  Moses  sent  twelve 
men,  one  of  every  tribe,  to  explore   the  Land   of  Chanaan. 


200 


CHAPTER  XL. 


He  said  to  them:  "Go  and  view  the  land,  whether  it  be 
good  or  bad;  and  the  people,  whether  they  be  strong  or 
weak;  and  the  cities,  whether  they  be  walled  or  without 
walls."  So  the  men  went  out  and  viewed  the  land,  entering 
at  the  south  side  and  arriving  at  Hebron.  Thence  they 
proceeded  as  far  as  the  torrent  of  grapes.  Here  they  cut 
off  a  branch  with  its  cluster  of  grapes,  and  the  men  carried 
it  upon  a  pole  3.  After  forty  days  they  returned,  bringing 
with  them  figs,  grapes,  and  other  rich  fruits,  as  specimens 
of  what  the  land  produced. 

They  told  Moses   and   all  the   people   that  the  Land   of 
Chanaan  was  good,  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  as  might  be 

seen  by  these  fruits; 
but  that  it  would  be 
very  difficult  to  con- 
quer that  country,  as 
the  men  were  large 
and  strong,  and  the 
cities  surrounded  by 
walls.  They  added: 
"There  we  saw  cer- 
tain monsters  of  the 
sons  of  Enac,  of  the 
giant  kind,  in  com- 
parison of  whom  we 
seemed  like  locusts."  4  Then  the  people,  losing  courage  and 
confidence  in  Grod 5,  began  to  murmur  against  Moses  and  Aaron, 
wishing  that  they  had  died  in  Egypt,  or  in  the  desert.  They 
exclaimed:  "Let  us  appoint  a  captain  and  return  to  Egypt!" 
In  vain  did  Caleb  and  Josue,  who  were  of  the  number  of 
the  spies,  or  explorers,  endeavour  to  appease  the  anger  of 
the  multitude,  saying  that  the  Land  of  Chanaan  was  very 
good,  and  that,  if  the  men  of  that  country  were  strong,  the 
Lord  would  fight  for  the  children  of  Israel.  But  the  people 
would  not  listen  to  reason.  They  threatened  to  put  Josue 
and  Caleb  to  death 6. 

1  After   they    had  passed  a   year   in   the   neighbourhood  of  Mount 
Sinai.  —  *  The  pillar  of  cloud  moved  on,  and  the  Israelites  followed 


THE  SPIES.  201 

it.  They  stopped  at  Cades  (see  map).  They  could  now  have  marched 
straight  into  Chanaan,  but  as  the  people  were  so  timid,  and  trusted 
so  little  in  God,  it  was  first  necessary  to  send  some  spies  to  find  out 
whether  the  inhabitants  were  strong  and  numerous,  and  whether  the 
cities  were  fortified  &c.  Moses  chose  a  leading  man  out  of  each 
tribe,  therefore,  twelve  in  all,  and  sent  them  into  Chanaan.  —  3  At 
this  present  time  there  grow  bunches  of  grapes  in  those  parts 
24  inches  long  and  weighing  12  lbs.  —  4  This  was  evidently  an 
exaggeration,  in  which  Josue  and  Caleb  took  no  part.  —  5  and  felt 
quite  convinced  that  they  would  never  be  able  to  conquer  the  country. 
—  G  to  stone  them.  They  wished  to  choose  another  leader  instead 
of  Moses,  who  would  take  them  back  to  Egypt. 

Then  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  over  the  Ark,  and 
God  said  to  Moses:  "How  long  will  this  people  detract  Me?7 
How  long  will  they  not  believe  Me  for  all  the  signs  that 
I  have  wrought  before  them  ?  I  will  strike  them,  therefore, 
with  pestilence,  and  consume  them."  Moses  interceded  for 
the  people,  saying:  "Forgive,  I  beseech  Thee,  the  sin  of  the 
people,  according  to  the  greatness  of  Thy  mercy." 

The  Lord  answered:  "I  have  forgiven,  according  to  thy 
word.  But  yet,  all  the  men  that  have  seen  the  signs  that 
I  have  done  in  Egypt  and  in  the  wilderness,  and  have 
tempted  me  now  ten  times,  shall  not  see  the  land.  You  shall 
wander  forty  years 8  in  the  desert,  and  faint  away  and  die 
in  the  desert ;  but  your  children  shall  possess  the  land."  9 

After  pronouncing  this  sentence  on  the  rebellious  Israelites, 
the  Lord  struck  dead  10  the  ten  spies  who  had  excited  them 
to  sedition 11.  But  Josue  and  Caleb  were  spared  and  blessed 12. 
From  God's  dealings  with  the  Israelites  on  this,  as  on  many 
other  occasions,  we  may  learn  that  even  after  the  guilt  of 
sin  has  been  remitted,  there  still  remains  a  temporal  punish- 
ment to  be  undergone  in  one  way  or  another,  unless  God, 
by  a  new  act  of  His  mercy,  takes  it  away. 

7  Because  they  will  not  believe  My  promises,  and  will  not  trust 
My  omnipotence.  —  8  counting  from  the  time  they  left  Egypt.  — 
9  God  said  explicitly  that  all  those  over  twenty  years  of  age  (with 
the  exception  of  Josue  and  Caleb)  should  die  in  the  wilderness,  and 
that  only  those  who  at  this  time  were  under  twenty,  should  enter 
the  Promised  Land.  —  t0  They  died  a  sudden  and  unforeseen  death. 
—  n  and  said  that  the  Land  of  Chanaan  could  not  be  conquered.  — 
12  Then  the  Israelites,  against  the  command  of  God,  went  into  Chanaan 


202  CHAPTER  XL. 

to  attack  its  inhabitants.  They  had  refused  to  put  their  trust  in  God, 
and  now,  they  presumptuously  trusted  in  their  own  strength  and 
numbers,  and  acted  as  if  they  could  very  well  dispense  with  the 
divine  assistance.  This  was  a  formal  defiance  of  God.  The  Chanaa- 
nites  fell  upon  them  and  utterly  defeated  them. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Justice,  Mercy,  and  Wisdom  of  God.  Almighty  God 
had  borne  for  a  long  time  with  the  murmuring,  refractory 
Israelites;  but,  at  last,  His  divine  patience  was  exhausted, 
and  His  justice  demanded  that  they  should  be  punished.  The 
people  of  Israel  were  condemned  to  wander  about  in  the 
desert  for  forty  years,  and  of  the  600  000  fighting  men 
who  left  Egypt,  only  two  entered  the  Promised  Land.  But 
even  while  He  punished,  God  showed  mercy,  for  at  the 
request  of  Moses  He  so  far  forgave  the  peop]e  that  He  did 
not  destroy  them.  He  excluded  all  those  who  were  grown 
up  from  the  Promised  Land,  which,  however,  He  explicitly 
promised  anew  to  the  younger  generation.  By  the  wisdom 
of  divine  Providence  the  forty  years  of  wandering  served 
this  end,  that  the  Israelites  put  aside  all  the  heathen  ideas 
and  customs  which  they  had  imbibed  in  Egypt,  and  grew 
accustomed  to  the  observance  of  the  law  of  God  and  obedience 
to  those  whom  He  had  placed  over  them,  and  were  trained 
to  be  a  valiant,  warlike  people. 

The  sins  of  the  Israelites.  In  the  story  you  have  just 
heard  the  Israelites  sinned  against  the  First  Commandment 
by  their  want  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity.  They  sinned 
against  the  Second  Commandment  by  cursing  and  blaspheming, 
and  speaking  and  acting  as  if  God  were  not  the  one,  true, 
Almighty  Lord.  These  sins  were  all  the  more  grievous, 
because  God  was  ever  before  their  eyes,  and  was  constantly 
working  wonderful  miracles  for  their  benefit.  They  sinned 
against  the  Fourth  Commandment,  by  rising  against  Moses, 
the  servant  of  God ;  and  also  against  the  Fifth  Commandment, 
by  trying  to  kill  the  true  and  faithful  spies,  Josue  and  Caleb. 
*  >  Cursing.  The  people  called  a  curse  on  themselves:  "Would 
>  to  God  that  we  may  die  in  the  wilderness!"  Their  sinful 
wish  was  granted  for  their  punishment :  they  were  condemned 


THE  SPIES.  203 

to  die  in  the  wilderness,  and  never  entered  the  Land  of 
Chanaan.  This  should  be  a  warning  to  us  to  avoid  all  kind 
of  imprecations.  The  cry  of  the  unbelieving  Jews  in  the 
time  of  our  Lord:  "His  Blood  be  upon  us  and  upon  our 
children"  (New  Test.  LXXII),  is  another  terrible  instance 
of  an  imprecation  being  fulfilled. 

The  power  of  intercession.  Because  Moses,  the  just  servant 
of  God,  prayed  earnestly  for  his  people,  God  forgave  them 
their  many  and  grievous  sins. 

Temporal  punishment.  God  told  Moses  explicitly  that  He 
forgave  the  people  their  sin  on  account  of  his  intercession. 
Nevertheless,  He  visited  them  with  a  temporal  punishment. 

Lies  and  scandal.  By  a  lying  exaggeration  of  the  strength 
of  the  Chanaanites,  the  spies  (with  the  exception  of  Josue 
and  Caleb)  induced  the  Israelites  to  murmur  against  God. 
"Thou  wilt  destroy  all  that  speak  a  lie"  (Ps.  5,  7). 

Sudden  death  is  the  worst  punishment  that  can  befall  a 
sinner,  because  he  has  no  time  given  him  to  do  penance. 
Therefore,  in  the  Litany  of  the  Saints,  the  Church  prays 
thus:  "From  sudden  and  unlooked  for  death,  0  Lord, 
deliver  us!" 

Moses's  disinterested  love  of  his  neighbour.  God  would 
have  made  Moses  a  prince  of  some  other  great  nation ;  but 
his  love  of  self  was  well  ordered,  and  stood  in  its  proper 
connexion  with  his  love  of  his  neighbour,  so  that  he  would 
not  seek  his  own  advantage  at  the  expense  of  that  of  his 
fellow  men. 

God's  blessing  is  everything.  The  Israelites  were  completely 
routed  by  the  Chanaanites  and  Amalekites,  over  whom  they 
had  previously  obtained  a  victory  (Chapt.  XXXV).  This 
was  because  God  neither  blessed  nor  helped  them.  Our  help 
comes  from  the  Lord:  without  Him  we  can  do  nothing. 

Ttie  kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth  violence.  The  grown  up  Israelites 
did  not  enter  the  Promised  Land,  because  they  shrank  from  the  burden 
of  fighting.  For  the  same  reason  many  Christians  do  not  reach 
heaven,  because  they  do  not  correspond  with  God's  grace,  and  will 
not  fight  against  the  enemies  of  their  souls.  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven 
suffereth  violence,  and  the  violent  bear  it  away"  (Mat.  11,  12). 


204  CHAPTER  XLI. 

III.  Application. 

Are  you  inclined  to  tell  lies  and  to  exaggerate?  It  was 
on  account  of  a  lie  that  God  punished  the  ten  spies  with 
sudden  death.  Learn  from  this  how  much  God,  Who  is  truth 
itself,  abhors  lies.  "Putting  away  lying,  speak  ye  the  truth 
every  man  with  his  neighbour"  (Eph.  4,  25). 

Have  you  got  the  evil  habit  of  uttering  curses  or  impre- 
cations ? 

Chapter  XLI. 
THE  REVOLT  OF  CORE  AND  HIS  ADHERENTS. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

NE  day,  whilst  the  children  of  Israel  were  in  the  wilderness, 


o 


they  found  a  man,  gathering  wood  on  the  Sabbath-day, 
and  they  brought  him  to  Moses  and  Aaron,  who  put  him 
in  prison,  to  see  how  he  should  be  punished.  But  the  Lord 
said  to  Moses:  "Let  that  man  die;  let  all  the  multitude 
stone  him  without  the  camp."    So  it  was  done. 

Some  time  after,  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  belonging 
partly  to  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  and  partly  to  the  tribe  of 
Levi,  and  having  for  leaders  Core1,  a  Levite,  and  Dathan 
and  Abiron 2,  both  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben — all  these  rose 
up  against  Moses  and  Aaron.  They  were  envious  of  the 
high  position  of  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  accused  them  of 
tyranny  and  ambition.  They  said:  "All  the  people  are  holy3; 
why  do  ye  raise  yourselves  above  the  people  of  God?"  Moses, 
hearing  this,  and  knowing  that  it  was  a  revolt  against  God 
Himself,  was  much  afflicted,  and  fell  flat  on  his  face. 

He  afterwards  spoke  to  the  rebellious  Levites  and  told 
them:  "Is  it  because  God  has  chosen  you  to  serve  near  the 
Tabernacle,  that  you  wish  to  usurp  the  dignity  of  the  priesthood 
also  ?  To-morrow  the  Lord  will  make  known 4,  who  they 
are  that  belong  to  Him.  Prepare,  then,  and  stand  each 
with  his  censer  on  one  side,  and  Aaron  will  stand  on  the 
other. " 

On  the  following  day,  when  the  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men   were   to   appear   before   the  Lord   with  their   censers, 


THE  REVOLT  OF  CORE  AND  HIS  ADHERENTS.     205 

Moses  ordered  the  leaders  of  the  revolt  to  come  forth  from 
their  tents.  But  they  impudently  replied:  "We  will  not 
come."  Then  Moses  went  himself  to  their  tents,  accompanied 
by  Aaron,  and  told  the  people  to  separate  themselves  from 
those  wicked  men,  lest  they  should  perish  with  them.  Moses 
said:  "If  these  men  die  the  common  death  of  men,  the  Lord 
did  not  send  me 5 ;  but  if  the  earth,  opening  her  mouth, 
swallow  them  down,  and  they  go  down  alive  into  hell,  you 
shall  know  that  they  have  blasphemed  the  Lord."  6 

Hardly  had  Moses  ended  these  words,  when  lo!  the 
earth  opened  under  the  feet  of  these  hardened  sinners,  and 
swallowed  them  up,  with  their  tents,  and  all  that  belonged 
to  them,  and  they  went  down  alive  into  hell.  At  the  same 
time  fire  came  down  from  heaven7  and  destroyed  the  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  who  had  taken  sides  with  Core,  Dathan 
and  Abiron. 

1  Core's  father  was  brother  to  Moses's  mother.  Core,  Moses  and 
Aaron  were,  therefore,  first  cousins.  —  2  As  Reuben  was  Jacob's 
eldest  son,  these  men  felt  themselves  aggrieved  that  the  descendants 
of  Levi  should  have  privileges,  which  they  themselves  had  not  got. 
—  3  They  meant  to  say :  "All  men  are  called  to  the  service  of  the 
Lord.  We  want  no  peculiar  priesthood;  and  you  (Moses  and  Aaron) 
are  no  better  than  we  are.  It  was,  in  their  opinion,  presumption  on 
Moses's  part  to  assume  the  leadership,  and  on  Aaron's  part  to  set 
himself  up  as  High  Priest  of  the  people.  —  4  will  decide  if  you  are 
in  the  right  or  not.  —  5  in  that  case  I  am  not  chosen  by  God  to  be 
His  ambassador  to  you.  —  6  and  not  me  only.  —  7  The  fire  proceeded 
from  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  killed  the  250  men  who,  with  Core,  had 
assumed  the  priestly  office  of  offering  incense  in  the  Tabernacle. 

After  this,  the  Lord  spoke  to  Moses,  saying:  "Speak  to 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  take  of  every  one  of  them  a  rod, 
by  their  kindreds,  of  all  the  princes  of  the  tribes,  twelve 
rods  8,  and  write  the  name  of  every  man  upon  his  rod ;  and 
lay  them  up  in  the  Tabernacle  of  the  Covenant.  Whomsoever 
of  these  I  shall  choose,  his  rod  shall  blossom."  Moses  did 
as  the  Lord  had  commanded. 

Next  day,  when  Moses  entered  into  the  Tabernacle,  he 
found  that  the  rod  of  Aaron  had  budded  and  blossomed.  He 
then  brought  out  all  the  rods  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
each  one  received  back  his  own  rod. 


206  CHAPTER  XLI. 

After  all  the  people  had  seen  that  Aaron  was  chosen  by 
the  Lord,  Moses  was  ordered  to  take  Aaron's  rod  and  place 
it  in  the  Tabernacle 9,  that  it  might  serve  as  a  memorial 
and  token  of  the  rebellion  of  the  children  of  Israel.  The 
awful  punishment  of  Core,  Dathan  and  Abiron  ought  to  show 
us  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  murmuring  against  the  priests 
whom  God  has  placed  over  us. 

8  They  were  sticks  cut  from  almond-trees.  —  9  in  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant,  to  be  a  lasting  witness  to  the  divine  vocation  of  Aaron 
and  his  sons. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Justice  of  God  was  shown  by  the  punishment  of  the 
Sabbath-breaker,  as  well  as  by  that  of  Core  and  his  adherents. 

God's  Omnipotence  worked  a  great  miracle  in  connexion 
with  Aaron's  rod  which,  in  one  night,  brought  forth  not 
only  leaves,  buds  and  flowers,  but  also  ripe  almonds. 

Sabbath-breaking.  The  severe  punishment  of  the  Sabbath- 
breaker  teaches  us  that  the  profanation  of  the  Sabbath  is 
a  great  sin.  This  sin  often  calls  down  temporal  punishment, 
and  it  will  certainly  bring  eternal  punishment.  "Remember", 
i.  e.  do  not  forget  "to  keep  the  Sabbath-day  holy." 

The  divine  institution  of  the  Priesthood.  By  the  terrible 
punishment  of  the  rebels,  and  the  blossoming  of  Aaron's 
rod,  God  again  declared  that  the  priesthood  of  the  Old 
Testament  was  instituted  by  Him. 

Rebellion  against  authority.  The  rising  of  Core  and  his 
adherents  was  a  rebellion  against  both  spiritual  and  temporal 
authority,  for  they  refused  to  acknowledge  that  God  had 
ordained  Moses  to  be  their  leader,  and  Aaron  to  be  their 
High  Priest.  The  rebellion  was,  therefore,  really  against 
God,  Who  had  called  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  Who  had  attested 
their  divine  vocation  by  so  many  miracles.  Hence  Moses 
was  right  in  saying:  "Why  do  you  stand  against  the  Lord?" 
The  terrible  punishment  of  Core  and  those  with  him  shows 
us  how  great  a  sin  it  is  to  rebel  against  those  whom  God 
has  put  in  authority  over  us.  "He  that  resisteth  the  power, 
resisteth  the  ordinance  of  God.  And  they  that  resist,  purchase 
to  themselves  damnation"  (Rom.  13,  2). 


THE  DOUBT  OF  MOSES.— THE  BRAZEN  SERPENT.    207 

Pride  is  a  capital  sin.  Core,  being  proud,  was  offended 
at  the  idea  that  he  was  only  a  Levite,  while  Aaron  and 
his  sons  were  priests;  and  the  family  pride  and  ambition 
of  Dathan  and  Abiron  were  injured  by  the  fact  that  men 
of  the  small  tribe  of  Levi  were  the  representatives  before 
God  of  the  whole  people.  Their  pride  developed  into 
envy,  and  this  again  developed  into  rebellion  against  the 
authorities,  ordained  by  God. 

Aaron's  rod,  a  type  of  the  Cross.  Aaron's  rod,  which 
blossomed  and  bore  fruit,  is  a  type  of  the  holy  Cross,  which 
by  the  Blood  of  Christ  has  brought  forth  such  wonderful 
fruits  of  grace  and  virtue. 

TJie  Priesthood  of  the  New  Testament.  We  Christians  are  all  called 
to  be  holy,  and  were  all  sanctified  in  baptism ;  but  all  Christians  are 
not  priests,  for  Jesus  Christ  has  instituted  a  special  priesthood  in  His 
Church,  for  the  sanctification  of  all  the  faithful.  If,  even  in  the  Old 
Testament,  a  special  priesthood  was  necessary  for  the  care  of  the 
things  of  God,  how  much  more  necessary  is  it  that  there  should  be 
a  priesthood  to  look  after  the  sacred  mysteries  of  the  Church !  "  Honour 
*  God  with  all  thy  soul,  and  give  honour  to  the  priests"  (Ecclus.  7,  33). 
Union  of  temporal  and  spiritual  authority.  God,  by  entrusting  the 
highest  spiritual  and  the  highest  temporal  authority  to  the  two  brothers, 
Aaron  and  Moses,  gave  it  to  be  understood  that  in  all  ages  spiritual 
and  temporal  authority,  Church  and  State,  ought  to  work  together 
for  the  good  of  mankind. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  show  reverence  for  your  spiritual  and  temporal 
superiors,  your  priests  and  teachers?  Are  you  unruly  or 
obstinate  towards  them?     Do  you  ever  pray  for  them? 

Chapter  XLII. 
THE  DOUBT  OF  MOSES.— THE  BRAZEN  SERPENT. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

IN  the  beginning  of  the  fortieth  year  of  their  wanderings, 
the  Israelites— the  children  of  those  that  had  died  in  the 
desert — suffered  from  the  want  of  water x,  and  began  to 
murmur  against  the  Lord.  Then  the  Lord  appeared  in  glory, 
and  said  to  Moses:  "Speak  to  the  rock2,  and  it  shall  yield 


208  CHAPTER  XLII. 

waters."  Then  Moses,  taking  the  rod3  from  the  Tabernacle, 
assembled  the  people  before  the  rock,  which  he  was  about 
to  strike.  Then  he  raised  the  rod  and  struck ;  but  doubting 4 
a  little  he  struck  a  second  time. 

That  momentary  diffidence,  which  was  only  a  venial  sin, 

and  which  made  Moses  strike  the  rock  a  second  time,  was 

displeasing  to   the   Lord,  and   He   told  Moses   and   Aaron : 

^'Because  you  have  not  believed  me5,  you   shall  not   bring 

these  people  into  the  land  which  I  will  give  them." 

1  The  Israelites  were  now  back  again  at  Cades  on  the  borders  of 
Chanaan.  —  2  "  Command  it  to  bring  forth  water."  —  3  the  miraculous 
rod,  kept  in  the  Tabernacle.  —  4  He  doubted,  whether  God  would 
work  another  great  miracle  for  this  refractory  people.  —  5  not  believed 
quite  firmly  enough.  If  Moses  had  not  believed  at  all,  he  would  not 
have  assembled  the  people  before  the  rock. 

Thence  the  Israelites  removed  their  camp  and  came  to 
Mount  Hor 6,  where  Aaron  died 7,  and  Eleazar,  his  son,  became 
High  Priest.  Some  time  later,  the  Israelites,  tired  of  their  in- 
cessant wanderings  in  the  desert 8,  began  to  murmur  against  the 
Lord  and  Moses.  Wherefore  fiery  serpents 9  were  sent  amongst 
them,  by  whose  deadly  bite  a  great  number  were  killed 10. 

Then  the  people,  knowing  that  the  serpents  had  been  sent 
in  punishment  of  their  sins,  came  to  Moses  and  said:  "We 
have  sinned,  because  we  have  spoken  against  the  Lord  and 
thee:  pray  that  He  may  take  away  these  serpents  from  us." 
And  Moses  prayed  for  the  people.  Whereupon  the  Lord 
said  to  him:  "Make  a  brazen  serpent,  and  set  it  up11  for 
a  sign:  whosoever,  being  struck,  shall  look  on  it,  shall  live." 
Moses,  therefore,  made  a  brazen  serpent,  and  set  it  up  for 
a  sign 12,  which  healed  all  'those  that  looked  upon  it. 

The  brazen  serpent  was  a  figure  of  the  Redeemer,  raised 
on  the  Cross.  He  it  is  who  heals  the  wounds  of  all  who, 
having  been  bitten  by  the  infernal  serpent,  turn  to  Him 
with  true  compunction  for  sin,  and  hope  in  His  divine  mercy. 
The  waters,  which  flowed  from  the  rock  in  the  wilderness 
to  refresh  the  Israelites  and  slake  their  thirst,  were  emblematic 
of  the  divine  graces,  which  flow  to  mankind  through  the 
Sacraments  of  the  Church. 


THE  DOUBT  OF  MOSES.-  THE  BRAZEN  SERPENT.    209 


6  As  it  was  not  easy  to  enter  Chanaan  on  the  south  side,  Moses 
wished  to  enter  it  from  the  east.  He  went  round  to  the  south-east 
and  came  to  Mount  Hor  (see  map).  —  7  On  Mount  Plor  God  called 
Aaron  to  Himself  at  the  age  of  a  hundred  and  twenty-three  years ; 
for  he,  equally  with  Moses,  was  not  allowed  to  enter  the  Promised 
Land.  —  8  To  avoid  the  territory  of  the  Edomites,  the  children  of 
Israel  had  to  turn  towards  the  south,  and  then  again  return  northwards 
along  the  eastern  side  of  Edpm  (see  map).  All  this  time  they  had 
nothing  to  eat  except  manna,  and  they  craved  for  other  food.  — 
0  These  snakes  were  poisonous.  They  were  covered  with  fiery  red  spots 
and  stripes,  and  the  wound  of  their  bite  burnt  like  fire,  and  caused 
a  deadly  inflammation.  —  10  The  poisonous  reptiles  lurked  round  the 
camp,  crept  into  the  tents,  bit  those  who  were  awake  on  their  bare 
feet,  and  attacked  the  sleepers.  The  whole  camp  resounded  with  the 
cries  of  the  sick,  and  the  moans  of  the  dying.  The  people  now  saw 
how  much  they  had  sinned.  —  ll  on  a  pole.  —  n  of  salvation. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Justice,  Mercy  and  Omnipotence  of  God  are  all  shown 
in  this  story. — God  punished  both  the  doubt  of  Moses  and 
the  murmuring  of  the  people:  but  He  gave  the  ungrateful 
Israelites  water,  listened  to  Moses's  prayer  for  them,  and 
healed  them  from  the  bites  of  the  snakes.    By  His  almighty 


210  CHAPTER  XLII. 

power  He  called  forth  the  water  from  the  rock;  and,  through 
one  glance  cast  at  the  brazen  serpent  by  the  dying,  He 
restored  them  to  life  and  health. 

Murmuring  against  God  is  a  great  sin,  as  we  can  learn 
by  the  severe  punishment  which  it  brought  on  the  murmuring 
Israelites.  We  must  submit  humbly  to  the  will  of  our  God 
and  Creator,  and  never  resist  or  murmur  against  Him  and 
His  divine  decrees. 

The  use  of  sufferings.  Whenever  God  visited  the  Israelites 
with  sufferings,  they  repented  of,  and  acknowledged  their 
grievous  sins. 

Temperance.  The  sensuality  of  the  Israelites  was  the 
cause  of  all  their  grumbling.  They  craved  for  other  food 
than  that  which  God  fed  them  on,  and  refused  to  put  up 
with  any  hardships.  Instead  of  subduing  their  appetites 
and  submitting  themselves  to  God's  will,  they  were  discon- 
tented, and  were  always  complaining  and  murmuring.  They 
did  not  possess  the  virtue  of  temperance. 

Doubts  about  faith.  Moses  and  Aaron  did  not  doubt  Almighty 
God's  power,  but,  for  one  moment,  they  doubted  His  mercy. 
They  were  righteously  angry  when  they  perceived  that  the 
new  generation  of  Israelites,  who  from  their  youth  up  had 
witnessed  the  miracles  of  God,  and  who  had  been  daily  fed 
with  manna,  should  be  as  wavering  and  refractory  as  their 
fathers  had  been  before  them.  They  felt  that  these  thankless 
people  were  not  worthy  that  God  should  again  perform  a 
miracle  for  their  benefit.  But  God's  thoughts  are  not  our 
thoughts,  and  His  mercy  is  infinitely  great.  God,  Who  is 
the  very  truth,  had  said:  " Speak  to  the  rock  and  it  shall 
yield  waters";  so  they  ought  to  have  believed  unconditionally 
and  not  doubted  for  a  single  moment.  Anyhow,  their  doubt 
was  a  sin. 

Venial  sins.  Wilful  unbelief  is  a  grievous  sin.  But  as 
the  doubt  of  Moses  and  Aaron  was  only  a  passing  one,  and 
as  they  did  not  give  their  full  consent  to  it,  but,  in  spite 
of  it,  obeyed  God's  command  by  going  to  the  rock  &c,  their 
sin  was  not  mortal,  but  only  venial :  nevertheless  they  were 
severely  punished  for  it.   If  a  person  has  laboured  for  a  long 


THE  DOUBT  OF  MOSES.— THE  BRAZEN  SERPENT.    211 

time  to  attain  a  certain  object  and  has  nearly  reached  it, 
it  would  be  a  very  severe  trial  to  him  to  be  told  that  he 
must  renounce  it.  Moses  and  Aaron  had  during  forty  years 
trained  the  Israelites  and  prepared  them  for  their  entrance 
into  the  Promised  Land ;  they  longed  to  complete  their  work, 
and,  themselves,  return  to  the  land  of  their  forefathers. 
But  now,  at  the  end  of  their  labour,  care  and  toil,  they  were 
told  that  they  must  die  without  setting  foot  in  the  long 
wished  for  country!  It  was  indeed  a  severe  punishment! 
But  they  humbly  submitted  to  God's  will,  and  preferred  to 
expiate  their  sin  in  this  world  rather  than  in  the  next.  This 
severe  punishment  of  one  venial  sin  teaches  us  to  know  and 
fear  Gfod's  justice,  and  shows  us  that  even  venial  sin  is  a 
great  evil  and  must  be  expiated  either  here  or  in  the  world 
to  come. 

The  intercession  of  the  saints.  The  sinful  people  knew  well 
that  they  did  not  deserve  that  their  petition  should  be  heard 
by  God;  therefore,  they  begged  His  faithful  servant,  Moses, 
to  intercede  for  them ;  and  to  him  God  hearkened.  For  this 
same  reason  we  call  on  the  saints  in  heaven,  the  friends 
of  God,  to  intercede  for  us. 

The  brazen  serpent,  a  type  of  our  crucified  Lord.  The 
brazen  serpent  set  up  on  a  pole  is  a  type  of  our  Divine 
Saviour.  He  Himself,  in  His  discourse  with  Nicodemus  told 
him  that  it  was  so  (New  Test.  XV):  "As  Moses  lifted 
up  the  serpent  in  the  desert,  so  must  the  Son  of  Man  be 
lifted  up,  that  whosoever  belie veth  in  Him  may  not  perish, 
but  may  have  life  everlasting."  As  the  brazen  serpent  was 
raised  up  on  high,  so  Jesus  Christ  (Who,  by  the  mouth  of 
David,  said  of  Himself:  "lama  worm  and  no  man";  Ps.  21,  6) 
was  raised  up  on  the  Cross.  Whoever  was  bitten  by  a  poiso- 
nous snake,  and,  being  full  of  faith,  turned  his  eyes  to  the 
brazen  serpent,  was  cured.  So  we,  when  our  souls  are 
wounded  by  the  infernal  serpent,  shall  be  healed  of  our  sins, 
if  we,  being  full  of  faith,  turn  our  eyes  to  our  crucified  Saviour. 

The  Israelites  bitten  by  the  fiery  snakes  represent  the  whole  of 
mankind.  The  infernal  serpent  has  wounded  all  men,  and  has  kindled 
in  them  the  flame  of  sinful  passions  ,  and  caused  them  to  be  subject 


212  CHAPTER  XLIII. 

to  everlasting  death.  It  is  of  great  significance  that  He  Who  redeemed 
us  from  sin  and  death  should  be  typified  by  a  (brazen)  serpent.  How 
is  it  that  the  serpent,  the  very  type  of  sin,  should  also  be  a  type 
of  the  Redeemer,  and  a  means  of  salvation?  Because  the  brazen 
serpent,  hanging  on  the  tree,  was  not  poisonous,  even  though  it  had 
the  form  of  a  poisonous  snake.  Thus  Jesus  Christ,  though  free  from 
the  poison  of  sin,  being  "holy,  innocent,  undefiled"  (Hebr.  7,  26), 
took  the  form  of  sinful  man,  laded  Himself  with  the  sins  of  the  world, 
and  suffered  Himself  to  be  raised  on  and  nailed  to  the  Cross  in 
order  to  save  all  men  from  sin  and  eternal  death.  The  brazen  serpent, 
therefore,  foreshadowed  this,  that  the  Redeemer  would  appear  in  the 
form  of  sinful  man ,  would  be  raised  on  and  nailed  to  a  Cross ,  and 
that  by  this  very  means  He  would  redeem  man  from  the  death  of 
sin,  and  from  eternal  loss. 

Jesus  Christ,  the  source  of  salvation.  The  brazen  serpent  being  a 
type  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  God  promised  that  "whosoever 
should  look  on  it  should  be  saved ".  The  wonderful  healing  power 
of  the  lifeless  serpent  did  not  lie  in  itself,  but  in  the  crucified 
Saviour,  of  Whom  it  was  a  type. 

The  necessity  of  faith.  Even  as  none  of  the  mortally  stricken 
Israelites  could  be  cured  unless,  full  of  faith,  they  looked  at  the 
brazen  serpent,  which  was  set  up  as  a  sign  of  salvation,  so  no  man 
can  be  saved  unless,  full  of  faith,  he  turns  to  the  crucified  God  made 
Man.     Only  they  who  believe  in  Him  will  have  life  everlasting. 

III.  Application. 

You  have  often  done  wrong,  and  said  to  yourself:  "0, 
it  is  only  a  venial  sin ! "  But  think,  even  a  venial  sin  is  an 
offence  against  God,  and  is  deserving  of  punishment.  Ask 
yourself  to  which  venial  sin  you  are  most  prone,  whether 
anger,  lying,  greediness,  or  so  forth,  and  firmly  resolve  to 
overcome  it. 

Chapter  XLIII. 
THE  PROPHECY  OF  BALAAM. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AS  the  Israelites  were  n earing  the  Promised  Land,  they 
came  to  the  confines  of  Moab  k  Balak,  the  king  of  that 
country,  being  in  very  great  fear 2,  sent  the  elders  and  the 
nobles  of  his  kingdom,  with  rich  presents  to  Balaam  3,  that 
he  might  come  and  curse  his  enemies.  This  Balaam  believed 
in  the  true  God ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  he  practised  sooth- 
saying and  divination. 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  BALAAM.  213 

When  the  messengers  had  arrived  with  their  presents, 
Balaam  said:  "Tarry  here  this  night,  and  I  will  answer 
whatsoever  the  Lord  shall  say  to  me."  And  God  told  him : 
"Thou  shalt  not  go,  neither  shalt  thou  curse  the  people." 
So  the  princes  returned  to  the  king.  But  Balak  sent  a 
greater  number  of  nobles,  and  richer  presents,  than  the  first 
time.  Balaam  told  the  messengers  again  to  stay  for  one  night. 
In  that  night  God  came  to  Balaam  and  said:  "Arise  and 
go ;  yet  so,  that  thou  do  what  I  shall  command  thee." 

Then  Balaam  arose  and  went  to  the  land  of  Moab.  The 
king  took  him  to  three  different  mountains,  whence  he  could 
behold  the  Israelites  in  the  valley,  and  ordered  him  to  curse 
them.  But  Balaam,  being  each  time  prevented  by  God  from 
cursing,  blessed4  them,  saying:  "How  beautiful  are  thy 
tabernacles,  0  Jacob,  and  thy  tents,  0  Israel!  He  that 
blesseth  thee  shall  also  himself  be  blessed,  and  he  that  curseth 
thee  shall  be  reckoned  accursed." 

1  This  country  lay  to  the  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  (see  map) .  —  2  that 
Israel  would  conquer  his  country;  for  the  chosen  people  had  already 
overcome  several  neighbouring  kings  at  the  point  of  the  sword.  — 
3  He  was  a  heathen  soothsayer  of  Mesopotamia,  the  country  which 
lay  between  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  but  he  had  heard  of  the 
wonderful  things  which  God  had  done  for  the  Israelites,  and  had 
learnt  thereby  to  know  the  true  God.  The  Lord  revealed  future 
things  to  him ,  in  order  that  through  him  the  heathen  nations  also 
might  learn  to  look  for  the  Redeemer.  The  superstitious  king  of 
Moab ,  Balak ,  wanted  Balaam  to  curse  God's  people ,  hoping ,  if  this 
were  done,  to  be  able  to  overcome  them.  -  4  By  this  God  revealed 
His  omnipotence  to  the  heathen. 

Then  Balak  grew  angry,  and  exclaimed:  "I  had  intended 
to  honour  thee,  but  the  Lord  hath  deprived  thee  of  the 
honour;  for  I  called  thee  to  curse  my  enemies,  and  thou, 
on  the  contrary,  hast  blessed  them  three  times."  So  he 
ordered  him  to  return  to  his  country.  Thereupon  the  eyes 
of  Balaam  were  opened  and  he  saw  a  vision 5,  and  his  lips 
were  opened,  and  he  prophesied:  "I  shall  see  him,  but  not 
now6;  I  shall  behold  him,  but  not  near7.  A  star  shall  rise 
out  of  Jacob,  and  a  sceptre  8  shall  spring  up  from  Israel 9, 
and  shall  strike  the  chiefs  of  Moab  10  and   shall   smite   the 


214  CHAPTER  XLHL 

children  of  Seth."  The  prophecy  of  Balaam  refers  to  the 
Saviour,  and  the  star  mentioned  is  the  star  which  appeared 
to  the  three  wise  men  at  the  birth  of  Christ. 

5  In  which  God  revealed  the  future  to  him.  —  G  i.  e.  not  now,  but 
later.  —  7  i.  e.  but  in  the  far  future.  —  8  a  ruler.  —  9  one  who 
should  belong  to  the  chosen  people  and  be  descended  from  Jacob,  or 
Israel.  —  10  the  heathen  powers. 

II.  Commentary. 

God's  Omnipotence  is  shown  by  His  forcing  Balaam  to 
bless  the  Israelites  against  his  will. 

God's  Omniscience  is  shown  by  His  revealing  to  Balaam, 
what  would  happen  in  the  far  future. 

The  sixth  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  prophecy  of  Balaam 
points  to  the  Divine  Redeemer,  and.  reveals,  firstly,  that  He 
would  not  come  for  a  long  time;  secondly,  that  He  would 
be  one  of  the  children  of  Israel;  thirdly,  that  He  would 
come,  like  a  star,  from  above,  shedding  light  around  Him; 
fourthly,  that  He  would  be  a  king;  and  fifthly,  that  He 
would  overcome  the  enemies  of  His  kingdom.  Let  us  see 
how  this  prophecy  has  been  fulfilled.  Firstly,  the  Redeemer 
did  not  come  till  1450  years  after  Balaam  spoke;  secondly, 
He  was,  as  Man,  descended  from  Jacob,  and  was  born  in 
Judea;  thirdly,  He  came  down  from  Heaven  to  be  the  Light 
of  the  world;  fourthly,  He  has  founded  the  Church,  the 
kingdom  of  God,  which,  fifthly,  overcomes  all  His  enemies, 
and  will  last  till  the  end  of  time.  The  brazen  serpent 
foreshadowed  our  Lord's  humiliation ;  the  prophecy  of  Balaam 
foreshadowed  His  majesty. 

Faith  in  God's  word.  Balaam  said  to  Balak  that  he  could 
not  alter  the  word  of  the  Lord;  and  this  rule  applies  to 
every  word  of  God  revealed  to  us.  Nobody  can  or  dare 
alter  God's  word,  either  by  adding  to  it  or  by  taking  away 
from  it.   We  must  believe  and  accept  revelation  just  as  it  is. 

Superstition.  Balak  did  not  believe  in  the  true  God,  but 
he  cherished  the  foolish,  superstitious  idea  that  Balaam's 
curse  could  injure  the  people  of  God. 

The  star  out  of  Jacob  and  the  three  kings  from  the  East.    Balaam's 
home  was  in  the  east,  that  is,  east   of   the  Promised  Land.     There, 


PARTING  ADVICE  OP  MOSES.— HtS  DEATH.  215 

the  prophecy  of  Balaam  was  well  known,  and  during  the  hundreds 
of  years  which  elapsed  before  our  Lord's  Incarnation,  the  tradition 
of  this  prophecy  was  preserved,  and  there  existed  a  living  expectation 
of  the  rising  of  a  wonderful  star,  and  at  the  same  time  of  a  sceptre, 
i.  e.  a  king  who  should  spring  up  out  of  Israel.  Therefore,  the  three 
kings  from  the  east,  as  soon  as  they  had  seen  the  wonderful  star, 
went  straight  to  Judea,  to  look  for  Him,  the  new  born  king,  Whose 
birth  was  heralded  by  the  star. 

III.  Application. 

Do  not  curse!  Say  to  yourselves:  " There  is  a  God,  Who 
cannot  be  mocked." 

Chapter  XLIV. 

PARTING  ADVICE  OF  MOSES.— HIS  DEATH. 

I.   Narrative  and  Explanation. 

THE  hour  had  come  at  last  when  Moses  was  to  be  taken 
away  from  his  people 1.  Before  he  died,  God  commanded 
him  to  lay  his  hands  upon  Josue,  in  the  presence  of  all  the 
people,  so  that  they  might  obey  him  as  their  ruler2.  For 
God  had  said  to  Moses:  "Thou  shalt  not  pass  over  this 
Jordan ;  but  Josue  shall  bring  the  people  into  the  land  which 
I  swore  I  would  give  to  their  fathers.', 

Then  Moses  made  his  farewell  discourse  to  the  people  in 
the  most  touching  manner3:  "Hear,  0  ye  heavens,  the  things 
I  speak;  let  the  earth  give  ear  to  the  words  of  my  mouth. 
Hear,  0  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord.  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God4  with  thy  whole  heart,  and  with 
thy  whole  soul,  and  with  thy  whole  strength.  Let  none 
be  found  among  you  that  consult  soothsayers,  or  observe 
dreams  and  omens.  These  things  the  Gentiles  do;  but  thou 
art  otherwise  instructed.  The  Lord  thy  God  will  raise  up 
to  thee  a  prophet  of  thy  nation,  and  of  thy  brethren,  like 
unto  me.     Him  thou  shalt  hear." 

He  reminded  them  of  all  the  wonders  which  God  had 
wrought  in  their  behalf.  He  promised  them  that,  if  they 
were  faithful  in  observing  the  commandments  of  God,  they 
should  be  blessed  in  their  houses,  blessed  in  their  fields, 
blessed   in  the   fruits   of  the   land,  blessed   in  their   cattle, 


216  CHAPTER  XLIV. 

blessed  when  they  came  in  and  when  they  went  out.  Then 
he  warned  them  that,  if  they  did  not  hear  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  and  keep  His  commandments,  a  curse  should  come 
upon  them  and  all  they  possessed5. 

1  The  forty  years  of  wandering  were  drawing  to  a  close,  and  the 
time  had  come  for  the  Israelites  to  enter  the  Promised  Land.  Moses, 
however,  was  not  to  lead  them  in  (Chapt.  XLII).  —  2  From  hence- 
forward Josue  was  to  be  God's  chosen  leader  of  His  people,  instead 
of  Moses.  Therefore ,  Moses  had  to  lay  his  hand  upon  him  in  the 
presence  of  all  the  Israelites,  that  they  might  know  that  he  was 
their  appointed  leader.  You  have  already  heard  about  Josue  in 
Chapters  XXXV  and  XL.  —  3  Pay  particular  attention  to  these  parting 
words  of  Moses.  —  4  Who  has  done  such  great  things  for  you,  and 
has  made  you  His  chosen  people.  —  5  The  choice  of  serving  God  or 
not  was  given  to  them.  As  a  dying  father  exhorts  his  children,  so 
did  Moses,  in  the  most  moving  way,  exhort  his  beloved  people  to 
choose  what  was  right. 

Then,  having  blessed  the  people,  he  went  up  from  the 
plains  of  Moab  to  Mount  Nebo  6.  From  that  place  the  Lord 
showed  him,  from  afar  off,  the  Land  of  Chanaan,  which 
He  had  promised  to  his  fathers,  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob. 

There  Moses  died,  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years 7 ;  and  all  Israel  mourned  him  for  thirty  days 8.  Moses 
was  a  figure  of  Jesus  Christ.  Like  Christ,  he  proclaimed 
the  law  of  God,  and  confirmed  his  preaching  by  miracles, 
prophecies,  and  a  holy  life.  The  Prophet  of  whom  Moses 
speaks  is  the  Saviour,  Who  was  to  give  a  new  law  more 
perfect  than  that  of  Moses. 

6  East  of  the  Dead  Sea  (see  map).  —  7  Holy  Scripture  says  that 
"his  eye  was  not  dim,  neither  were  his  teeth  moved".  This  means 
that  he  was  not  feeble  from  old  age,  and  might,  humanly  speaking, 
have  lived  some  time  longer,  if  God  had  not  called  him  away.  — 
8  and  quite  rightly  too,  for,  after  God,  he  was  the  greatest  benefactor 
of  his  people.  Through  him  God  had  instituted  the  Covenant  and 
worked  great  miracles,  and  had  spoken  face  to  face  with  him. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Justice  and  Faithfulness  of  God  are  shown  to  us  in  a 
very  awe-inspiring  manner  in  this  story.  Moses  was  a  very 
holy  servant  of  God,  distinguished  for  his  virtues  and  services. 
But,  in  company  with  his  brother  Aaron,  he,  for  one  short 


PARTING  ADVICE  OF  MOSES.-HIS  DEATH.  217 

moment,  doubted  God's  mercy,  and  for  their  sin  God  pro- 
nounced on  both  of  them  this  sentence:  "You  shall  not  bring 
these  people  into  the  land  which  I  will  give  them."  Soon 
after  this,  Aaron  died  on  Mount  Hor.  At  last  the  Israelites 
arrived  at  the  borders  of  Chanaan,  and  the  time  had  come 
for  them  to  cross  the  Jordan  and  take  possession  of  the 
Promised  Land;  but  Moses  was  not  allowed  to  go  further. 
From  the  top  of  Mount  JNebo,  Almighty  God  showed  him 
the  beautiful  Land  of  Promise,  and  then  he  had  to  die;  for 
God  always  does  that  which  He  says  He  will  do.  If  the 
Lord  God  punished  Moses  so  severely  for  one  venial  sin, 
how  much  ought  we  to  fear  His  justice,  and  avoid  everything 
that  is  wrong!  \* 

In  Moses's  parting  discourse  he  exhorted  the  Israelites 
as  follows: 

1.  They  were  never  to  forget  the  Covenant  sealed  with 
God,  but  were  always  to  keep  it  faithfully.   His  exhortation 

"^applies  to  us  also,  who  ought  never  to  prove  unfaithful  to 
our  baptismal  vows. 

2.  They  were  to  worship  God  only,  and  love  Him  with 
their  whole  hearts.  Our  Lord  tells  us  that  this  command- 
ment is  the  first  and  greatest  commandment,  for  it  contains 
all  the  others. 

3.  They  were  to  bring  up  their  children  in  the  fear   and{ 
love  of  God,  and  relate  to  them  all  God's  wonderful  works* 
and  the  benefits  which  He  had  showered  on  them,  so  that 
they  might  be  moved  to  have  a  thankful  love  for  Him.    It 
is  a  sacred  duty  of  parents  to   bring   up   their   children   in 
the  fear  of  God,  for  He  has  done  far  more  for  us  Christians  \ 
than  He  ever  did  for  the  Israelites.  V. 

4.  If  the  Israelites  kept  the  Commandments,  God  promised 
them  rich  earthly  blessings;  for,  as  the  people  were  sensual 
and  earthly,  sensible  and  earthly  rewards  were  held  out  to 
them.  It  is  true  in  all  times  that  only  he  who  fears  God 
can  have  any  true  happiness  on  earth,  and  for  this  reason 
St.  Paul  says:  "Glory  and  honour  and  peace  to  every  one^ 
that  worketh  good"  (Rom.  2,  10);  but  all  the  same  we 
Christians  ought  not  to  serve  God  for  earthly  rewards,  but 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  10 


218  CHAPTER  XLIV. 

for  those  which  are  imperishable  and  eternal.  We  ought  to 
love  God  for  His  own  sake  (independently  of  all  rewards 
and  punishments),  because  He  is  infinitely  worthy  of  love. 
The  law  of  the  New  Testament  is  more  perfect  than  the 
law  of  the  Old  Testament.  Moses  pointed  to  the  New 
Covenant,  for,  in  his  parting  discourse,  he  gave  utterance  to 

5.  The  seventh  promise  of  the  Messias.  He  foretold  to  his 
people  that  one  day  another  prophet  should  rise  in  their 
midst,  who,  also,  would  institute  a  Covenant:  "The  Lord 
will  raise  up  to  thee  a  prophet  of  thy  nation,  and  of  thy 
brethren,  like  unto  me.  Him  thou  shalt  hear."  Who  is  this 
Prophet?  Jesus  Christ,  Who  was  a  prophet  like  to  Moses, 
for,  firstly,  He  instituted  the  New  Covenant  as  Moses  had 
instituted  the  Old;  and  secondly,  He  foretold  the  future  as 
Moses  did,  proclaiming  the  divine  law.  (See  Commentary, 
Chapt.  XXXVII,  in  what  way  Moses  was  a  type  of  our  Lord.) 

The  threefold  office  of  Christ.  Moses's  prophecy  about  the 
Redeemer  points  to  the  prophetical  office  of  our  Lord. 
Balaam's  prophecy  points  to  His  kingly  office;  and  the 
typical  brazen  serpent  pointed  to  His  priestly  office,  by 
foreshowing  that  the  Divine  Saviour  would  be  sacrificed  on 
the  Cross,  and  would  heal  our  sins. 

Look  back  at  Moses's  great  virtues,  his  living  faith,  his  firm 
confidence  in  God,  his  burning  zeal  for  God's  honour,  his 
patience,  humility,  jpiety,  gentleness,  fortitude,  and  love  of 
his  people.  Mink  of  his  blessed  death,  at  the  end'  or*  his 
laborious  life  spent  in  the  service  of  God.  He  is  now  great 
in  heaven,  and  we  on  earth  venerate  him  as  one  of  the 
best  and  noblest  of  men. 

Our  pilgrimage  to  heaven.  The  forty  years'  wandering  of  the  Israelites 
in  the  desert  is  a  sensible  type  of  our  pilgrimage  to  the  promised 
land  of  heaven.  The  passage  of  the  Red  Sea  delivered  the  Israelites 
from  the  bondage  of  Egypt:  we  must  pass  through  the  waters  of 
Baptism  to  be  freed^  fnmi  the  bondage  of  sin.  The  Israelites  wended 
their  weary  and  perilous  "way  tnrough  the""desert  to  the  Promised 
Land :  our  road  to  heaven  is  also  wearisome,  and  many  are  the  enemies 
that  we  meet  on  the  way  ("Narrow  is  the  gate,  and  strait  is  the 
way  which  leadeth  to  life."  New  Test.  XXI).  The  Lord  God  Himself, 
going   before  them  showed   the  Israelites   the  way:   Jesus   has   gone 


ENTRANCE  OF  THE  ISRAELITES  INTO  THE  PROMISED  LAND.    219 

before  us  and  has,  by  word  and  example,  shown  us  the  way  to 
heaven.  God  fed  them  with  manna:  Jesus  feeds  and  strengthens  our 
souls  with  the  true  Bread  from  heaven,  His  Sacred  Body  and  Blood. 
The  Israelites  strove  and  fought  and  conquered  only  by  the  help 
and  protection  of  God:  we  too,  in  our  fight  against  the  enemies  of 
our  salvation,  must  seek  God's  grace,  without  the  help  of  which  we 
can  do  nothing.  The  children  of  Israel  received,  as  the  reward  of 
their  labours ,  the  safe  possession  of  the  land  of  Chanaan :  we  shall 
receive,  as  our  reward,  the  eternal  possession  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

III.  Application. 

You  should  seek  to  know  what  God  has  done,  and  is  still 
doing  for  you,  and  what  He  requires  of  you.  You  can  learn 
this  by  your  instructions  on  the  Catechism  and  Bible  History. 
But  are  you  not  lazy  and  negligent  about  such  instruction  ? 
Do  you  always  learn  the  lesson  set  you?  Do  you  always 
pay  great  attention  to  what  you  are  taught? 


JOSUE  AND  THE  JUDGES. 

(About  1450—1095  B.  C.) 


Chapter  XLV. 

ENTRANCE  OF  THE  ISRAELITES  INTO  THE 
PROMISED  LAND. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  the  death  of  Moses,  the  Lord  spoke  to  Josue: 
"My  servant  Moses  is  dead;  arise  and  pass  over  this 
Jordan1,  thou  and  the  people  with  thee.  I  will  deliver  to 
thee  every  place  which  the  sole  of  your  foot  shall  tread 
upon.  No  man  shall  be  able  to  resist  thee  all  the  days  of 
thy  life."  Encouraged  by  these  promises  the  people  advanced 
towards  the  Jordan.  When  they  reached  its  banks2,  Josue 
ordered  the  priests  to  take  the  Ark  of  the  Lord,  and  go 
before  the  people.  As  soon  as  the  priests,  carrying  the  Ark, 
stepped  into  the  Jordan 3,  and  their  feet  touched  the  water 
at  the  bank,  the  waves  that  came  from  above  stood  heaped 
together,  and  swelling  up  like  a  mountain,  were  seen  afar 
off;  but  the  floods,  which  were  beneath,  ran  down  into  the 

10* 


220  CHAPTER  XLV. 

sea,  until  they  wholly  failed.  Then  all  the  people  passed 
over  through  the  channel  that  was  dried  up.  They  pitched 
their  tents  before  Jericho.  On  the  following  day  they 
celebrated  the  Pasch,  and  having  eaten  of  the  fruits  of  the 
earth,  the  manna  ceased  to  fall4. 

Jericho  was  a  strongly  fortified  city,  capable  of  offering 
a  long  resistance5.  The  children  of  Israel  wished  to  take 
it,  but  they  lost  courage  when  they  saw  the  height  and 
strength  of  the  ramparts.  But  the  Lord,  seeing  their  want 
of  confidence,  ordered  Josue  to  bring  together  all  the  fighting 
men  of  Israel,  and  to  march  in  deep  silence,  around  the 
city  once  a  day  for  six  days. 

But  on  the  seventh  day  they  should  go  around  the   city 

seven  times ;  and  at  the  last  time,  all  the  people,  on  hearing 

the  priests  that  were  before  the  Ark,  sounding  the  trumpets, 

should  shout  together  with  a  great  shout.    So  it  was  done  6. 

When  the  seventh  day  came,  they  marched  silently  six  times 

around  the  city;  but  at  the  seventh  turn,  when  the  priests 

I  sounded  the  trumpets,  all  the  people  shouted,  and  instantly 

I  the  walls  fell  down7.     Every   man   went   up   by  the   place 

I  that  was  against  him;  and  they  took  the  city. 

^v        «  This  river  is  very  rapid,  because  between  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and 

the  Dead  Sea   it  has  a  fall  of  nearly  666   feet:   its   breadth  is  from 

66   to    100  feet,  and   its   mean   depth   10  feet.  —  2  The  Jordan  was 

swollen.  It  was  a  short  time  before  the  Pasch,  and  the  snow  on  the 

mountains  was   melting.    —    3  full   of  confidence   in  God,  Who   had 

promised  miraculous   help   to  Josue.  —  4  because   the  Israelites   had 

C reached   the   end    of  their  wanderings   in   the   desert,  and  would   be 

)  able   from  henceforth   to   find   sufficient   food   in  the  fruitful  land  of 

\  Chanaan.  —  5  Jericho  (see  map)  was  a  strongly  fortified  town ,  and 

/  there  were  many  fighting  men  inside  to  defend  it.  The  Israelites  were 

I  not  provided  with  battering-rams,  or  any  other  implements  for  breaking 

down   the  walls,  and  were  not  accustomed   to  that   kind  of  warfare. 

They  did   hot ,  therefore ,  think   it  possible  that  they  would  be  able 

to   take  a  fortified   city.  —  6  The  repeated   marching   round  Jericho 

convinced   the  Israelites  both  of  the  strength  of  the  city  and  of  the 

necessity  of  divine  assistance.  —  7  Of  course  this  was  not  the  effect  of 

the  noise  of  the  trumpets  and  shouting,  but  of  the  divine  omnipotence. 

After  many  hard-fought  battles,  Josue  at  length  made 
himself  master  of  all  the  land  of  Chanaan.     During  this 


ENTRANCE  OF  THE  ISRAELITES  INTO  THE  PROMISED  LAND.    221 


period  he  several  times  experienced  the  especial  assistance  of 
God.  On  one  occasion  he  waged  war  against  the  five  kings 
of  the  Amorrhites.  The  Israelites  conquered  and  pursued 
their  enemies.  But  night  coming  on  would  soon  have  put 
an  end  to  the  victory.  Then  Josue  spoke  to  the  Lord,  in 
the  sight  of  all  the  people:  "Move  not,  0  sun,  toward  Gabaon; 
nor  thou,  0  moon,  toward  the  valley  of  Ajalon."  8  So  the 
sun  stood  still  in  the  midst  of  heaven9.  There  was  not, 
before  nor  after,  so  long  a  day. 

y^Chanaan  was  divided  among  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  10.\ 
The  tribeof  Levi  alone  received  no  portion,  as  they  lived, 
on  tlieirthes""^^  forty-eight! 

cities  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The  descendants  of s 
the  two  sons  of  Joseph,  Ephraim  and  Manasses,  received 
each  a  portion  of  the  land.  Thus  the  country  was  divided 
among  the  twelve  tribes:  Reuben,  Simeon,  Juda,  Zabulon, 
Issachar,  Dan,  Gad,  Aser,  Nephtali,  Benjamin,  Ephraim  and 
Manasses.  Thus  were  the  promises  fulfilled  which  God  had 
made  to  the  patriarchs.   When  Josue  was  old,  he  assembled 


222  CHAPTER  XLV. 

the  people  and  admonished  them  to  observe  the  law 12,  and 
to  avoid  intercourse  and  marriage  with  the  heathens.  Josue 
died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  ten  years. 

The  Promised  Land  was  a  figure  of  heaven.  As  the  Israelites 
did  not  obtain  possession  of  Chanaan  till  they  had  toiled, 
fought,  and  suffered  much,  so  Christians  cannot  enter  heaven, 
the  true  land  of  promise,  unless  they  contend  bravely  against 
the  enemies  of  their  salvation. 

8  Josue  (and  the  Book  of  Scripture  written  by  him)  speaks  here, 
as  we  do  still,  according  to  appearances;  for,  judging  by  what  we 
see ,  it  seems  as  if  the  sun  moved  round  the  earth.  —  9  God ,  in  a 
wonderful  way,  prolonged  the  day -light,  so  that  the  Israelites  were 
able  to  profit  by  their  victory,  and  follow  it  up.  The  opposite  miracle 
to  this  took  place  at  our  Lord's  crucifixion,  when  the  sun  was  darkened 
for  three  hours.  —  10  both  east  and  west  of  the  Jordan.  Two  tribes 
and  a  half,  those  of  Reuben,  Gad  and  half  Manasses,  lived  to  the 
east  of  the  Jordan,  the  other  nine  tribes  and  a  half  to  the  west. 
The  Tabernacle  was  set  up  at  Silo ,  between  Jerusalem  and  Sichem, 
and  remained  there  for  300  years.  —  n  The  priests  and  Levites 
received  no  land,  for  they  were  entirely  devoted  to  God's  service,  and 
were  not  to  trouble  themselves  about  agriculture  &c.  They  received 
the  tenth  part  of  all  wheat,  fruits  and  clean  beasts,  and  a  certain 
portion  of  the  sacrifices.  —  12  Moses  had  written  down  the  revelation 
of  God  from  the  beginning,  and  had,  in  five  books,  recorded  all  the 
laws  of  God. 

II.   Commentary. 

i  The  Omnipotence  of  God.  By  God's  will  the  running  waters 
of  the  Jordan  rose  up  like  rocks ;  at  His  bidding  the  strong- 
walls  of  Jericho  fell  down;  and  by  His  command  the  light 
of  day  was  prolonged.  Nothing  can  resist  God's  omnipotence, 
nothing  can  hinder  the  workings  of  divine  Providence! 

The  Faithfulness  of  God.  The  promise  which  God  had 
made  to  Abraham  six  hundred  and  fifty  years  before  was 
now  fulfilled,  and  by  His  wonderful  guidance,  Abraham's 
descendants  were  now  given  possession  of  the  Promised 
Land.  God  also  fulfils  what  He  threatens.  Not  one  of  those 
men  who  departed  from  Egypt,  except  Josue  and  Caleb, 
entered  the  Promised  Land.  They  all  died  in  the  desert, 
as  God  said  they  should  die.  God  has  promised  us  everlasting 
happiness  if  we  keep  our  baptismal  vows,  that  is,  if  we  stand 


ENTRANCE  OF  THE  ISRAELITES  INTO  THE  PROMISED  LAND.     223 

fast  in  faith,  keep  the  commandments,  and  use  the  means 
of  grace  given  to  us:  if  we  neglect  to  do  this,  we  shall 
not  go  to  heaven,  but  to  hell. 

The  object  of  miracles.  During  the  journey  of  the  Israelites 
to  the  Promised  Land  God  worked  great  miracles  for  His 
people.  Now  that  it  was  a  case  of  completing  the  great 
work,  and  putting  His  people  in  possession  of  the  Promised 
Land,  He  worked  still  greater  miracles.  By  doing  this  the 
Lord  wished  to  confirm  His  people's  faith  in  His  omnipotence, 
and  their  confidence  in  His  loving  care.  He  wished  them 
also  to  learn  that  they  could  do  nothing  by  their  own 
strength  and  numbers,  and  that  it  was  only  by  His  help 
they  could  attain  to  the  Promised  Land,  and  that  they, 
therefore,  owed  Him  an  everlasting  debt  of  gratitude.  Neither 
can  we  reach  the  promised  land  of  heaven  by  our  own 
strength,  but  only  by  the  help  of  God's  grace. 

The  folly  of  idolatry  was  proved  to  the  Chanaanites  by 
the  miracle  which  made  the  sun  to  shine  on  the  earth  for 
a  longer  time  than  was  its  wont,  and  this  for  the  purpose 
of  bringing  injury  on  them.  The  Chanaanites  worshipped 
the  sun  and  moon  as  gods,  and  the  fact  that  these  heavenly 
bodies  obeyed  the  command  of  Josue,  the  servant  of  God, 
ought  to  have  proved  to  them  that  the  God  of  Israel  was 
infinitely  more  powerful  than  their  self-made  deities  which, 
far  from  being  able  to  help  them,  were  compelled  to  help 
their  enemies. 

The  power  of  prayer.     Full   of  faith,  Josue  prayed,  and 
at  his  prayer  the  day  was  prolonged. 
y?y  The  power  of  faith.     "By  faith  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell 
down"  (Hebr.  11,  30).   The  Israelites  knew  very  well  that( 
their  marching  round  the  town,  the  blowing  of  the  trumpets  j 
and  the  shouting  of  the  multitude  could  not,  of  themselves/ 
overthrow  the  walls;  but  full  of  faithful  confidence  in  God,\ 
they   punctually   did   everything   that  He   commanded,   and; 
through  their  faithful  obedience,  God  worked   the  miracle.* 

Josue,  the  ninth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.   He  was  this,  in  so\ 
far  that  he  led  the  Israelites  into  the  Land  of  Promise,  and 
triumphantly  conquered  it.   Jesus  Christ,  by  His  Death  and 


224  CHAPTER  XLVI. 

Resurrection,  has  overcome  sin,  Satan  and  death,  and  has 
opened  to  us  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  He  leads  us  there 
by  His  doctrine,  His  example  and  His  grace,  and  especially 
by  holy  Baptism. 

The  passage  of  the  Jordan  (as  well  as  that  of  the  Red  Sea) 

i  is  a  type  of  Baptism,  by  which   we   enter  the  kingdom   of 

\  God  upon  earth,  i.  e.  the  holy  Church,  and  acquire  a  claim 

to  those  priceless  means  of  grace  which  Jesus  Christ  bequeathed 

to  His  Church. 

Processions.  By  God's  command  the  Israelites  went  in  procession 
round  Jericho  thirteen  times.  These  were  religious  processions,  in 
which  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  was  carried. 

III.  Application. 

After  crossing  the  Jordan  the  Israelites  had  to  fight  for 
a  long  time  before  they  acquired  the  Promised  Land.  Thus 
we,  after  our  holy  Baptism,  must  fight  against  the  enemies 
of  our  souls,  especially  against  evil  inclinations  and  passions. 
"Labour  as  a  good  soldier  of  Christ  Jesus  ...  He  also  that 
striveth  for  the  mastery  is  not  crowned  except  he  strive 
lawfully"  (2  Tim.  2,  3.  5).  As  a  reward,  we  shall  receive 
the  everlasting  possession  of  heaven.  Fight  especially  against 
your  besetting  sin.  Make  a  good  resolution  to  overcome  it 
every  day,  and  let  it  be  the  object  of  your  particular 
examination  of  conscience. 

Chapter  XLYI. 
THE  JUDGES.— GEDEON.— SAMSON. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

SO  long  as  that  generation  of  the  Israelites  lived  who  had 
eaten  of  the  manna  in  the  desert,  and  who  had  seen 
the  wonders  of  the  Lord  wrought  for  them,  both  in  the 
wilderness  and  in  the  taking  of  Chanaan,  they  did  not  depart 
from  the  way  of  the  Lord ;  but  their  children,  having  inter- 
married with  the  pagan  nations  round  them 1,  contrary  to 
the  express  command  of  God,  began  to  adore  the  idols  which 
their  wives  worshipped.  Then  the  Lord  delivered  them  into 
the  hands  of  their  enemies  2. 


THE  JUDGES.— GEDEON.  -SAMSON.  225 

They  afterwards  repented  and  turned  again  to  the  Lord 
their  God3.  In  this  manner,  falling  into  idolatry  and 
returning  again  to  the  worship  of  the  true  God  they  went 
on  for  several  generations.  Whenever  they  humbled  them- 
selves before  God,  and  showed  signs  of  true  repentance,  the 
Lord  hastened  to  their  relief.  From  time  to  time  He  raised 
up  among  them  brave  and  pious  men  4,  who  smote  the  enemy 
with  a  strong  hand.  These  men  were  called  Judges  5.  Amongst 
them  were  Barac,  Jephte,  Samson,  who  was  famous  for  his 
great  strength — and  the  pious  Samuel. 

1  The  heathen  nations  were  not  rooted  out ;  for  God  suffered  them 
to  exist  in  order  to  prove  whether  His  people  were  steadfast  in  faith, 
and  would  resist  the  allurements  of  the  heathen.  —  2  God's  will  was 
that  the  idolaters  should  be  exterminated,  that  they  might  be  punished 
for  the  enormities  (such  as  human  sacrifices)  of  their  idolatry.  In 
spite  of  all  the  wonderful  things  which  God  had  done  for  the  Israelites 
and  which  they  had  witnessed,  the  Chanaanites  were  not  converted; 
therefore  the  day  of  grace  was  past  for  them ,  and  judgment  now 
overtook  them.  This  judgment  ought  to  have  been  executed  by  the 
Israelites,  but  they  proved  slothful,  and  even  formed  friendships  with 
the  heathen,  though  Josue  had  expressly  warned  them  not  to  do  so. 
Then  God  was  angry  with  His  people,  and  allowed  the  heathen  nations 
to  have  dominion  over  them.  They  fell  in  turn,  under  the  power  of 
the  Moabites,  who  lived  to  the  east  of  the  Dead  Sea;  of  the  Madianites, 
who  lived  in  Arabia  near  the  Moabites;  and  of  the  Philistines,  who 
lived  on  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean  (see  map).  —  3  whom  they 
had  so  lightly  forgotten.  —  4  full  of  the  Spirit  of  God  and  strong 
in  faith.  —  5  They  were  so  called  because,  firstly,  they  executed 
God's  judgments  on  the  heathen,  and,  secondly,  because  they  governed 
and  judged  the  Israelites  according  to  the  law  of  God.  Fifteen  Judges, 
in  all,  were  raised  up  during  the  space  of  three  hundred  years. 

But  the  most  renowned  of  all  the  Judges  was  Gedeon, 
the  son  of  a  common  Israelite,  who  lived  at  the  time  when 
God  had  delivered  the  children  of  Israel  into  the  hands  of 
the  Madianites 6  on  account  of  their  sins  7. 

The  Lord  sent  an  angel  to  Gedeon,  as  he  was  threshing 
and  winnowing  wheat  at  his  father's  house  8.  The  angel  said 
to  him:  "The  Lord  is  with  thee,  0  most  valiant  of  men. 
Go  in  this  thy  strength,  and  thou  shalt  deliver  Israel  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  Madianites."  Gedeon  asked  how  he 
could  deliver  Israel,  seeing  that  his  family  was  the  lowest  in 

io** 


226  CHAPTER  XLVI. 

the  tribe  of  Manasses,  and  that  he  himself  was  the  least 
in  his  father's  house.  The  angel  assured  him  that  God 
would  be  with  him,  and  that  the  Madianites  should  be  cut 
off  to  a  man. 

Soon  after  this  the  Madianites  crossed  the  Jordan  with 
a  large  army,  and  encamped  in  the  valley  of  Jezrael.  But 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Gedeon 9,  and  he  sounded 
the  trumpet,  and  calling  together  the  Israelites,  formed  an 
army  of  thirty-two  thousand  men,  and  drew  them  up  in 
battle-array.  Before  commencing  the  attack  Gedeon  said 
to  God:  "If  Thou  wilt  save  Israel  by  my  hand,  I  will  put 
this  fleece  of  wool 10  on  the  floor  n ;  if  there  be  dew  on  the 
fleece  only,  and  it  be  dry  on  all  the  ground  beside,  I  shall 
know  that  by  my  hand,  as  Thou  hast  said,  Thou  wilt  deliver 
Israel." 12  And  it  was  so.  The  next  day  he  asked  God 
that  the  fleece  might  be  dry  and  the  ground  wet  with  dew. 
And  God  did  as  Gedeon  requested. 

6  Who,  with  the  Amalekites,  and  other  people ,  lived  east  of  the 
Jordan  and  "like  locusts  filled  all  places"  (Jud.  6,  5).  —  7  and 
especially  for  having  adopted  the  worship  of  the  false  god,  Baal,  and 
built  altars  to  him,  though  they  worshipped  the  true  God  as  well.  — 
8  in  order  to  conceal  it  from  the  enemy.  He  did  not  dare  do  it  on  a 
threshing  floor  in  the  open  field ,  for  fear  of  being  seen.  —  9  and 
filled  him  with  a  great  courage  and  confidence,  and  a  burning  zeal 
for  God's  honour.  —  10  the  skin  of  a  lamb.  —  M  The  Israelites,  like 
all  Eastern  people,  had  their  threshing  floors  in  the  open  field,  and 
without  a  roof.  —  12  Gedeon  asked  for  a  sign  from  God  not  only  for 
his  own  sake,  but  in  order  to  give  courage  to  the  thirty-two  thousand 
Israelites  with  him. 

But  the  Lord  spoke  to  Gedeon  and  told  him  that  his  army 
was  too  great,  and  that  the  Madianites  should  not  thus  be 
delivered  into  his  hands,  lest  the  children  of  Israel  should 
glory,  and  say  that  they  conquered  by  their  own  strength. 

And  the  Lord  commanded  Gedeon  to  speak  to  the  people 
and  proclaim  in  the  hearing  of  all  that  whosoever  was 
fearsome  or  timorous  should  return  home.  And  the  army, 
hearing  this,  twenty-two  thousand  men  retired  from  the 
field,  leaving  only  ten  thousand  to  meet  the  enemy.  The 
Lord  spoke  again  to  Gedeon,  telling  him  that  there  were 


THE  JUDGES.-GEDEON.— SAMSON. 


227 


still  too  many  soldiers.  "Bring  them  to  the  waters",  He 
said,  "and  there  I  will  try  them". 

He  then  told  Gedeon  to  observe  how  the  men  would 
drink  when  they  came  to  the  water.  "They  that  shall  lap 
the  water  with  their  tongues,  as  dogs  are  wont  to  lap,  thou 
shalt  set  apart  by  themselves;  but  they  that  shall  drink, 
bowing  down  their  knees,  shall  be  on  the  other  side."  The 
number  of  those  who  had  lapped  the  water  from  the  hollow 
of  their  hand,  in  order  to  save  time,  was  three  hundred 
men13;  all  the  rest  of  the  multitude  had  knelt  down  to 
drink  at  their  ease. 

Gedeon  kept  with  him  only  the  three  hundred  who  drank 
the  water  from  the  hollow  of  their  hand ;  the  rest  he  sent 
to  their  homes.  He  then  divided  the  three  hundred  men 
into  three  companies,  and  gave  them  trumpets  in  their  hands, 
and  empty  pitchers,  and  lamps  within  the  pitchers.  And 
he  said  to  them:  "What  you  shall  see  me  do,  do  you  the 
same;  I  will  go  into  one  part  of  the  camp,  and  do  you  as 
I  shall  do." 

Gedeon  and  the  three  hundred  men  who  were  with  him 
approached  the  enemy's  camp  at  the  midnight- watch,  and 
entering  in,  began  to  sound  their  trumpets  and  to  strike 
the  pitchers  one  against  the  other,  dazzling  the  bewildered 
enemy  with  the  sudden  light  of  the   concealed  lamps.     At 


228  CHAPTER  XLVI. 

the  same  time  the  Israelites   cried   out   with  a  loud   voice: 
"The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gedeon."  u 

The  sudden  alarm  and  the  fierce  attack  of  Gedeon's  men, 
threw  the  Madianites  into  such  confusion  that  they  turned 
their  swords  against  each  other,  and  fled  in  all  directions. 
Then  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  seeing  that  victory  was  on 
their  side,  rose  up  and  pursued  the  Madianites,  cutting  off 
their  retreat  on  every  side,  so  that  of  the  whole  army  of 
one  hundred  and  thirty-five  thousand  men,  only  fifteen 
thousand  returned  alive  to  their  own  country.  Israel  had 
peace  for  forty  years. 

13  These  three  hundred  were  temperate  men,  who  had  their  desire 
to  quench  their  thirst  under  control,  whereas  the  remainder  threw 
themselves  on  the  ground  so  as  to  drink  as  speedily  and  copiously 
as  possible.  —  u  has  come  upon  you  and  will  overcome  you.  The 
sword  of  Gedeon  was  at  the  same  time  the  sword  of  the  Lord,  because 
God  was  with  Gedeon  and  would  through  him  overcome  the  enemy. 
The  night-attack  caused  such  confusion  among  the  Madianites  that 
in  the  dark  they  turned  one  against  the  other.  In  their  flight  they 
were  cut  down  by  the  Israelites,  who,  by  Gedeon's  orders,  had  taken 
possession  of  the  banks  of  the  river. 

The  Israelites  fell  again  into  idolatry,  and  were  persecuted 
by  the  Philistines 15.  But  an  angel  appeared  to  the  wife  of 
Manue16,  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  and  said:  "Thou  shalt  bear 
a  son;  no  razor  shall  touch  his  head,  for  he  shall  be  a 
Nazarite  of  God  from  his  infancy,  and  he  shall  begin  to 
deliver  Israel  from  the  hands  of  the  Philistines."  When 
the  child  was  born,  he  was  called  Samson  17. 

Going  to  the  city  of  the  Philistines,  he  met  a  young  lion ; 
but  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Samson18,  and  he 
tore  the  lion  to  pieces.  Being  delivered  into  the  hands  of 
the  Philistines 19,  he  tore  the  cords  with  which  he  was 
bound,  and  finding  the  jaw-bone  of  an  ass,  he  slew  with 
it  a  thousand  men.  Remaining  over  night  in  Gaza20,  the 
Philistines  bolted  the  gates  of  the  city  to  prevent  his  escape. 
But  Samson  arose  at  midnight,  took  the  gates  with  their 
posts  and  bolts,  and  carried  them  to  the  top  of  a  hill21. 

15  The  Israelites  were  oppressed  by  the  Philistines  for  forty  years 
on  account  of  their   idolatry.  —  16  Manue  and    his  wife,  being  well 


THE  JUDGES.— GEDEON.- SAMSON.  229 

advanced  in  years,  had  given  up  all  hope  of  having  children.  — 
17  Samson  was  given  miraculously  to  his  parents,  and  was  consecrated 
to  God,  first  by  their  vow,  and  later  by  his  own.  God  blessed  him, 
because  from  his  youth  up  he  remained  faithful  to  his  vow,  refraining 
from  intoxicating  drinks,  and  never  cutting  his  hair.  —  18  and  gave 
him  a  superhuman  strength.  —  19  So  low  had  the  Israelites  sunk  that 
they  delivered  over  to  the  enemy  him  whom  God  favoured ,  instead 
of  joining  him,  and,  under  his  leadership,  casting  off  the  yoke  of  the 
Philistines.  —  20  one  of  the  chief  towns  of  the  Philistines  (see  map). 

—  21  so  that  in  the  morning  the  Philistines  could,  as  a  humiliation 
and  warning,  espy  their  city  gates  set  up  on  the  top  of  the  hill. 

Dalila,  a  Philistine  woman,  after  many  pleadings 22,  ex- 
tracted from  him  the  secret  of  his  strength.  "The  razor 
hath  never  come  upon  my  head,  for  I  am  a  Nazarite :  that 
is  to  say,  consecrated  ■  to  God.  If  my  head  be  shaven  my 
strength  will  depart,  and  I  shall  be  like  other  men."  23  During 
his  sleep  Dalila  cut  off  his  hair,  called  the  Philistines,  who 
captured  him,  put  out  his  eyes,  and  cast  him  into  prison 24. 
Some  time  after,  a  great  feast  was  celebrated  in  honour  of 
the  idol  Dagon  25,  when  more  than  three  thousand  Philistines 
were  assembled  in  the  house.  Blind  Samson,  whose  hair 
had  grown  again,  was  brought  out  that  he  might  amuse 
them  by  feats  of  his  strength26.  He  told  the  boy  who  led 
him  to  bring  him  to  the  pillars  upon  which  the  whole  house 
rested.  Then  he  prayed:  "0  Lord  God,  remember  me  and 
restore  to  me  my  former  strength."  Then  grasping  the 
pillars,  he  shook  them  so  strongly  that  the  whole  house 
rocked  and  fell  27  upon  himself  and  all  the  people.  In  this 
manner  he  killed  many  more  enemies  of  God  at  his  death 
than  he  had  killed  during  life28. 

22  Because  the  princes  of  the  Philistines  had  promised  her  much 
money  if  she  would  extract  Samson's  secret  from  him.  —  23  By 
shaving  his  head  Samson  would  break  his  vow  and  would  no  longer 
be  consecrated  to  God.  —  24  They  treated  him  as  a  slave  and  set 
him  to  the  most  servile  works.  How,  in  his  misery,  Samson  must 
have  repented  of  his  folly,  and  prayed  to  God  for  pardon!  —  25  a 
fish-god.  They  said:  "Our  god  (Dagon)  hath  delivered  our  enemy 
Samson  into  our  hands"  (Jud.  16,  23).  The  feast  was,  therefore,  held 
to  celebrate  the  triumph  of  the  idol  Dagon  over  the  God  of  Samson. 

—  26  and  sing  and  dance.  They  wished  to  make  sport  of  him  whom 
God  had  chosen  to  be  judge  over  His  people !  What  a  humiliation  for 


230  CHAPTER  XLVI. 

Samson!  —  27  On  the  occasion  of  the  feast  a  wooden  stage,  resting 
on  pillars,  was  erected,  on  and  under  which  the  spectators  sat.  When, 
therefore ,  Samson ,  with  superhuman  strength,  overthrew  the  pillars, 
the  whole  edifice  fell  down.  —  28  He  sacrificed  his  own  life,  so  as  to 
destroy  the  despisers  of  God  and  the  oppressors  of  his  people. 

II.  Commentary. 

Justice,  Patience,  and  Mercy  of  God.  The  Chanaanites,  if 
they  had  had  a  right  will,  could  have  learnt  to  know  the 
true  God  by  means  of  the  wonders  which  He  wrought  before 
their  very  eyes.  As,  however,  in  spite  of  this,  they  persevered 
in  impiety  and  immorality,  the  judgments  of  God  overtook 
them,  and  they  were  rooted  out  by  the  Israelites.  God's 
justice  was  also  manifested  to  the  Israelites  on  account  of 
their  faithlessness,  when  He  allowed  them  to  be  overcome 
and  oppressed  by  the  pagans.  But  He  also  showed  mercy 
to  them,  for  as  often  as  they  acknowledged  their  sin  and 
turned  to  Him,  He  forgave  them  and  delivered  them  from 
their  oppressors.  Even  when  they  again  forsook  Him,  He 
did  not  give  them  up,  but  bore  patiently  with  them,  and 
visited  them  with  tribulations,  whereby  they  might  be  once 
more  converted  to  Him.  Indeed,  "0  Lord,  Thou  art  a  God 
of  compassion  and  merciful,  patient  and  of  much  mercy" 
(Ps.  85,  15). 

Why  God  permits  evil.  God  permitted  some  of  the  heathen 
nations  to  remain  in  Chanaan,  so  that  His  chosen  people 
might  be  proved.  Thus  it  is  that  God  still  suffers  faithless 
and  bad  people  to  exist,  both  in  order  to  give  them  time 
for  repentance,  and  to  prove  the  virtuous  and  faithful,  so 
that  their  virtue  and  fidelity  may  be  more  meritorious. 

Bad  company.  Man,  being  inclined  to  evil,  ought,  as  far 
as  is  possible,  to  avoid  associating  with  bad  people.  Evil 
communications  corrupt  good  manners. 

The  misery  of  sin.  He  who  forsakes  God  will  be  forsaken 
by  God.  "Sin  maketh  nations  miserable"  (Prov.  14,  34), 
and  not  only  nations,  but  individuals  also.  "Many  are  the 
scourges  of  the  sinner"  (Ps.  31,  10).  Just  think  what  a 
scourge  a  bad  conscience  is!  "There  is  no  peace  to  the 
wicked"  (Is.  48,  32). 


THE  JUDGES.— GEDEON.— SAMSON.  231 

The  use  of  trials.  In  their  misery  the  Israelites  turned 
to  God.    God  sends  trials  to  sinners  in  order  to  convert  them. 

Original  sin.  By  these  repeated  falls  of  the  Israelites  we 
can  see  how  corrupt  and  prone  to  evil  the  human  heart  is. 
This  natural  inclination  to  evil  is  an  effect  of  original  sin, 
and  can  only  be  overcome  by  the  grace  which  Jesus  Christ 
has  obtained  for  us. 

The  necessity  of  self-denial.  Even  after  we  have  been  cleansed  from 
original  sin  and  made  children  of  God  by  holy  Baptism,  there  remain 
many  enemies  in  our  hearts,  namely  sinful  inclinations  and  passions. 
We  must  unceasingly  fight  against  these  by  steadily  denying  ourselves, 
or  else  we  shall  be  overcome  by  them  and  be  made  the  slaves  of  sin. 
The  grace  necessary  for  this  holy  warfare  is  given  to  us  in  the 
Sacrament  of  Confirmation. 

Mixed  Marriages.  Holy  Scripture  especially  reproaches  the  Israelites 
for  contracting  marriages  with  unbelievers,  and  for  becoming,  thereby, 
indifferent  about  their  faith,  and  even  being  led  into  apostasy.  Mixed 
marriages  are  always  dangerous  to  faith,  and  they  easily  lead  to 
spiritual  indifference  and  even  to  apostasy.  For  this  reason  marriages 
between  Catholics  and  those  who  are  not  Christians  are  absolutely 
forbidden,  and  are  null.  Even  marriages  between  Catholics  and  non- 
Catholic  Christians  are  dangerous,  and  are  therefore  forbidden,  being 
only  allowed  by  dispensation  when  security  is  given  against  the  danger 
of  apostasy,  and  for  the  Catholic  education  of  the  children  of  the 
marriage.  A  mixed  marriage,  it  has  been  most  truly  said,  begins  by 
a  spiritual  divorce,  for,  from  the  beginning,  those  who  are  married 
are  separated  on  the  most  important  point,  namely  religion. 

God  governs  the  world.  God  gave  the  Israelites  into  the 
hands  of  the  Madianites,  for  these  could  never  have  overcome 
them  except  by  His  permission;  and,  when  in  their  misery 
they  turned  to  Him,  He  delivered  them  through  Gedeon  and 
gave  them  peace  for  many  years.  But  that  Israel  might 
know  that  it  was  to  God  it  owed  the  victory,  He  told  them 
that  if  32  000  men  went  out  to  fight,  they  would  not  conquer 
the  enemy,  but  that  if  only  three  hundred  fought,  then  the 
victory  would  be  theirs.  God  directs  the  lives  of  nations, 
as  of  individuals,  with  power,  wisdom  and  mercy.  He  is 
Lord  also  over  nature,  and  turns  its  powers  which  way  soever 
He  will,  as  He  showed  by  the  twofold  miracle  of  the  fleece. 

Prayer  obtains  help  in  time  of  need.  When  neither  life 
nor  property  was  safe,  and  the  Israelites  were  hunted  from 


232  CHAPTER  XLVI. 

their  homes,  they  turned  to  God  and  cried  for  help.  And 
God  heard  their  prayer  and  raised  up  Gedeon  to  be  the 
saviour  of  his  people. 

Humility.  Gedeon  was  humble  of  heart.  He  considered 
himself  to  be  the  lowest  of  the  low,  and  did  not  trust  to 
his  own  skill  or  strength,  but  only  in  God's  help.  As  soon 
as  the  twofold  miracle  of  the  fleece  had  convinced  him  that 
God  was  favourable  to  the  Israelites,  and  had  chosen  him 
to  save  them,  he  confidently  attacked  the  overwhelming 
host  of  the  enemy  with  a  mere  handful  of  fighting  men, 
and  put  it  to  flight.  God  exalteth  the  humble.  "He  that 
exalteth  himself  shall  be  humbled,  and  he  that  humbleth 
himself  shall  be  exalted,"  said  our  Lord.  Gedeon  considered 
himself  to  be  small  and  weak,  but  he  did  great  things  by 
the  help  of  God.  "The  weak  things  of  the  world  hath  God 
chosen  that  He  may  confound  the  strong,  that  no  flesh  should 
glory  in  His  sight"  (1  Cor.  1,  27). 

The  confidence  in  God  shown  by  the  three  hundred.  They 
might  easily  have  felt  disheartened,  and  might  have  said: 
"How  can  we  conquer  an  enemy  who  outnumbers  us  by 
four  hundred  and  fifty  to  one!"  But  they  trusted  in  God's 
help,  followed  the  example  of  their  valiant  leader,  and  thus 
gained  a  glorious  victory,  in  spite  of  overwhelming  odds 
against  them.  We  too,  in  our  fight  against  the  enemies  of 
our  salvation,  ought  not  to  lose  courage,  but  should  trust 
in  God  and  say  with  the  holy  apostle:  "I  can  do  all  things 
in  Him,  who  strengtheneth  me"  (Phil.  4,  13). 

Temperance.  Gedeon  was  to  know  those  whom  God  had 
chosen  for  the  battle  by  their  self-control  and  temperance. 
For  the  service  of  God  temperance  and  self-denial  are 
absolutely  necessary,  since  without  these  there  can  be  no  true 
virtue.  He  who  does  not  govern  himself  is  a  slave  to  his 
evil  inclinations  and  passions:  "Better  is  he  that  ruleth  his 
spirit  than  he  that  taketh  cities." 

Gedeon,  the  tenth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Gedeon,  as  saviour 
of  his  people,  is  a  type  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the 
whole  world.  Like  Gedeon,  our  Lord  during  His  early  years 
led  a  humble,  hidden  life.   As  Gedeon  overcame  his  numerous 


THE  JUDGES.— GEDEON.— SAMSON.  233 

enemies  with  a  few  soldiers,  so  did  our  Lord  overcome  the 
pagan  world  by  His  few  apostles  and  disciples,  whose  only 
weapons  were  the  trumpet  (preaching)  of  the  Gospel,  and 
the  torches  (the  light)  of  good  works. 

The  fleece  ivet  with  dew  is,  according  to  the  holy  fathers  of  the 
Church,  a  type  of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God.  As  the  dew 
fell  on  this  white  fleece,  severed  from  the  flesh,  so  did  the  Son  of 
God  take  our  human  nature  by  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in 
the  womb  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  Thus  it  is  said  (Ps.  71,  6):  "He 
(God)  shall  come  down  like  rain  upon  the  fleece." 

The  fleece  left  dry  is  a  type  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  our 
Lady.  Even  as  this  fleece  remained  dry  when  all  the  ground  around 
was  wet,  so  was  Mary  alone  preserved  from  the  stain  of  original 
sin,  which  adheres  to  every  one  else. 

The  Goodness  of  God.  God  chose  Samson  before  his  birth, 
and  therefore  without  any  merit  on  his  part,  and  gifted 
him  with  many  graces,  especially  that  of  superhuman 
strength,  in  order  that  by  him  the  enemies  of  Israel  might 
be  punished  and  humbled.  This  God  did  when  Israel  had 
not  repented  and  was  still  persisting  in  idolatry.  With 
preventing  care  He  showed  the  Israelites  by  the  call  of 
Samson,  that  though  they  were  unfaithful  to  Him,  He  had 
not  forsaken  them,  but  could  and  would  free  them  from 
their  degradation  if  only  they  would  turn  to  Him. 

The  Mercy  of  God  is  shown  by  this,  that  God  forgave 
Samson  his  sin  when  he  repented  of  it  in  captivity  and  misery, 
and  restored  to  him  the  gift  of  supernatural  strength,  which 
he  had  lost  by  his  own  fault.  God  not  only  forgives  the 
repentant  sinner  his  sin,  but  restores  to  him  the  lost  grace 
of  justification,  and  revives  all  his  merits. 

Self-denial.  During  all  his  life  Samson  practised  self- 
denial,  for  he  abstained  from  wine  and  all  intoxicating  drinks. 
But  one  irregular  desire  brought  the  hero  Samson  to  his 
fall.  This  should  warn  us  to  suppress  promptly  every  sinful 
movement.  St.  Ambrose  says:  "The  strong  and  powerful 
Samson  strangled  a  lion,  but  he  could  not  strangle  his  own 
passions.  He  broke  the  bonds  of  his  captors,  but  he  could 
not  break  the  bonds  of  his  own  lusts."  If  such  a  strong 
hero  could  be  so  weak,  how  great  care  ought  we  to   take 


234  CHAPTER  XLVI. 

not  to  allow  our  passions  to  obtain  a  mastery  over  us. 
Our  Lord  Himself  warns  us:  "Watch  ye  and  pray,  that 
ye  enter  not  into  temptation.  The  spirit  indeed  is  willing, 
but  the  flesh  is  weak"  (New  Test.  LXVII). 

Samson,   the    eleventh    type    of  Jesus    Christ.     The   rough, 
warlike  period  of  the  Judges  possessed  its  types  by  which 
the  future  Saviour  of  Israel  and  the  whole  world  was  fore- 
shadowed.    Samson   and   Gedeon    were   both  types   of   our 
Lord.     St.  Augustine  says   of  Samson:    "He   acted  like  a 
strong  man,  and  suffered  like  a  weak  man.     I   see   in  him 
both  the  strength  of  the  Son  of  God  and  the  weakness   of 
man.   In  those  great  and  wonderful  things  which  he  did  he 
was   a  type   of  Christ."     His   birth   was  announced   by  an 
angel :  so  also  was  the  Birth  of  Jesus  Christ.   He  overcame 
a   lion:   Jesus  Christ  has   overcome   the   infernal  lion.     He 
fought  and  conquered,  all  alone,  and  with  an  ignoble  weapon : 
Jesus  Christ  fought  and  conquered,  all  alone,  by  the  despised 
Cross.     He  was   betrayed   for  money,  was  given  up  to  the 
enemy  by  the  men  of  his   own  tribe,  and  was   bound   and 
mocked:  thus  was  it  with  Jesus.    Samson  gave  his  life  for 
his  people,  doing  his  enemy  much  injury  by  his  death :  Jesus 
offered  Himself  up  of  His  own  will,  and  by  His  death  overcame 
sin  and  Satan.    Samson  lifted  up  and  carried  away  the  gates 
and  bolts  of  Gaza :  Jesus  Christ,  by  His  resurrection,  threw 
open  the  gates   and   burst  asunder  the  bolts  of  the  grave. 
Consequences  of  mortal  sin.  Samson,  from  his  youth  up,  led  a  severe 
life,  consecrated   to  God.    He  was  a  soldier   of  God,  a  hero   of  the 
faith ,  and  a  saviour   of  his  people ,  as  long  as  he  remained   true  to 
his   holy  state  and  corresponded  with  grace;    but  when  he  formed  a 
friendship  with  a  heathen  woman,  and  by  so  doing  forsook  God,  he  in 
his  turn  was  forsaken  by  God,  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies 
who  oppressed  and  degraded  him,  and  made  him  a  slave.   Thus  it  is 
with  those  Christians,  consecrated  to  God  by  Baptism,  who  yet  obey 
their  sinful  passions  and  separate  themselves  from  God  by  mortal  sin. 
There  falls  on  them  the  sleep  of  spiritual  sloth,  they  are  bound  with  the 
bonds  of  sin,  they  lose  all  their  strength,  i.  e.  the  grace  of  God,  they 
become  spiritually  blind,  and  fall  into  the  slavery  of  sin  and  bad  habits. 
III.  Application. 

I  dare  say  you  think  it  horrible   and   inconceivable   that 
the  Israelites,  in  spite  of  all  God's  benefits,  visitations  and 


RUTH'S  AFFECTION  FOR  HER  MOTHER-IN-LAW.  235 

warnings,  should  have  proved  faithless  to  Him  and  have 
broken  the  covenant  sealed  with  Him!  But  give  a  glance 
at  your  own  life.  Have  you  never  been  faithless  to  God? 
Have  you  never  fallen  back  into  your  former  sins?  Have 
you  always  kept  the  promises  you  made  to  God,  and  acted 
up  to  your  resolutions  ?  You  will  often  fall  from  weakness, 
but,  oh,  try  not  to  offend  God  wilfully  and  intentionally. 

In  your  Confirmation  you  were  consecrated  and  fortified 
to  be  a  soldier  of  Christ.  You  must,  therefore,  fight  cou- 
rageously and  steadfastly  against  the  enemies  of  your  salvation. 
Practise  self-control,  and  pray  humbly  for  God's  help,  and 
you  will  conquer  them. 

Let  Samson's  story  teach  you  this:  "He  that  thinketh 
himself  to  stand,  let  him  take  heed  lest  he  fall"  (1  Cor.  10,  12). 

Chapter  XLVIL 
RUTH'S  AFFECTION  FOR  HER  MOTHER-IN-LAW. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

IN  the  days  when  the  Judges  ruled  in  Israel  there  was  a 
famine  in  the  land.  And  a  certain  man  of  Bethlehem1 
with  his  wife  and  two  sons  went  to  sojourn  in  the  land  of 
Moab 2.  His  name  was  Elimelech  and  his  wife  Noemi.  After 
having  lived  many  years  in  Moab  Elimelech  died,  and  his 
two  sons,  who  had  taken  wives  from  amongst  the  daughters 
of  Moab,  also  died  ten  years  after  their  father's  death. 

Noemi  being  now  left  alone,  and  full  of  sorrow  for  the 
loss  of  her  husband  and  two  sons,  arose  to  return  to  her 
own  country3.  Her  two  daughters-in-law4,  Orpha  and 
Ruth,  went  forth  with  her.  As  they  journeyed  on  towards 
the  land  of  Juda,  Noemi  spoke  to  Orpha  and  Ruth:  "Go 
ye  home  to  your  mothers.  The  Lord  deal  mercifully  with 
you  as  you  have  dealt  with  the  dead  and  me."  5  And  she 
kissed  them.  But  they  lifted  up  their  voice  and  wept,  and 
said:  "We  will  go  on  with  thee  to  thy  people." 

Noemi  answered:  "Do  not  so,  my  daughters;  for  I  am 
grieved  the  more  for  your  distress;  and  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  is   gone   out   against   me."     Then   Orpha   kissed    her 


236  CHAPTER  XLVII. 

mother-in-law  and  returned.  Ruth,  however,  would  not 
depart.  Noemi  spoke  again:  "Behold,  thy  kinswoman  is 
returned  to  her  people;  go  thou  with  her." 

Thereupon  Ruth  replied:  "Be  not  against  me,  for  whither- 
soever thou  shalt  go,  I  will  go,  and  where  thou  shalt  dwell, 
I  also  will  dwell.  Thy  people  shall  be  my  people  and  thy 
God  my  God6.  The  land  that  shall  receive  thee  dying,  in 
the  same  will  I  die,  and  there  will  I  be  buried."  Then 
Noemi,  seeing  that  Ruth  was  steadfast,  would  not  urge  her 
any  more  to  return  to  her  friends. 

1  Of  the  tribe  of  Juda.  —  2  east  of  the  Dead  Sea.  There  was  no 
famine  in  that  country.  —  3  She  had  learnt  that  the  famine  had 
ceased  in  Chanaan,  and  she  longed  to  be  back  in  her  own  country.  — 
4  the  two  Moabite  women,  widows  of  her  dead  sons.  —  6  May  God 
be  merciful  to  you  and  prosper  you,  because  you  were  merciful  to 
my  sons,  nursing  them  in  their  sickness  &c,  and  have  been  full  of 
love  for  me,  a  poor  forsaken  widow.  —  6  We  can  see  by  this  that 
Ruth  had  renounced  idolatry,  and  had  received  the  true  faith. 

So  they  journeyed  on  together,  and  came  to  Bethlehem, 
where  the  report  was  quickly  spread,  and  the  women  said : 
"This  is  that  Noemi." 
v  It  was  the  beginning  of  the  barley-harvest,  and  Ruth 
asked  Noemi:  "If  thou  wilt,  I  will  go  into  the  fields  and 
glean  the  ears  of  corn  that  escape  the  hands  of  the  reapers."  7 
And  Noemi  said:  "Go,  my  daughter."  Now  it  so  happened 
that  the  field  in  which  Ruth  went  to  glean  belonged  to  a 
kinsman  of  Elimelech,  named  Booz  who  was  very  rich.  And 
behold  Booz  came  out  to  see  the  reapers,  and  said:  "The 
|Lord  be  with  you."   They  answered :  "The  Lord  bless  thee." 

And  having  observed  Ruth  gleaning  in  the  barley-field, 
he  asked  the  overseer:  "Whose  maid  is  this?"  The  overseer 
replied:  "This  is  Ruth  who  came  with  Noemi  from  the 
land  of  Moab;  and  she  desires  leave  to  glean  the  ears  of 
corn  that  remain,  following  the  steps  of  the  reapers.  She 
hath  been  in  the  field  from  morning  till  now,  and  hath  not 
gone  home  for  a  moment."  8 

Then  Booz  addressed  Ruth  very  kindly,  and  said :  "  Hear 
me,  daughter:  Keep  with  my  maids  and  follow  where  they 
reap.     I  have  charged  my  young  men  not  to   molest  thee, 


RUTH'S  AFFECTION  FOR  HER  MOTHER-IN-LAW. 


237 


and  if  thou  art  thirsty,  go  to  the  vessels  and  drink  of  the 
waters  whereof  the  servants  drink,  and  dip  thy  morsel  in 
the  vinegar."  Full  of  gratitude  for  these  kind  words,  Ruth 
bent  down  before  Booz,  and  asked  how  it  came  that  she,  a 
woman  of  another  country,  should  find  favour  in  his  sight. 
Booz  told  her  that  all  she  had  done  for  her  mother-in-law 
since  the  death  of  her  husband,  had  been  related  to  him. 
He  prayed:  "  May  est  thou  receive  a  full  reward  of  the  Lord, 
under  whose  wings  thou  art  fled."  He  then  privately  told 
the  reapers:  "Let  fall  some  of  your  handfuls  of  purpose, 
that  she  may  gather  them  without  shame."  She  gleaned 
therefore  in  the  field  till  evening,  and  then  beat  out  with  a 

rod  what  she  had  gleaned, 
which  was  an  ephi:  that 
is  three  bushels.  Grateful 
for  the  kindness  shown 
her,  she  returned  to  her 
mother-in-law,  carrying 
with  her  the  barley  she 
had  threshed,  and  the 
leavings  of  the  meal  that 
had  been  given  her.  Noemi 
was  astonished  and  asked : 
"Where  hast  thou  glean- 
ed to-day,  and  what  hast 
thou  wrought?  Blessed 
be  he  that  hath  had  pity  on  thee."  Ruth  told  the  man's 
name,  that  he  was  called  Booz. 

Next  day  she  returned  to  the  field  of  Booz  and  continued 
to  glean  after  the  reapers,  till  all  the  barley  was  laid 
up  in  the  barns.  Some  time  after  Booz  said  to  Ruth:  "My 
daughter,  all  the  people  that  dwell  within  the  gates  of  my 
city  know  that  thou  art  a  virtuous  woman."  So  he  married 
her.  Then  the  ancients  came  and  said  to  Booz:  "May  this 
woman  be  an  example  of  virtue  in  Ephrata,  and  may  she  have 
a  famous  name  in  Bethlehem."  The  Lord  blessed  their  union 
and  gave  them  a  son  whom  they  called  Obed.  Then  Noemi, 
full  of  joy,  taking  the  child,  laid  it  in  her  bosom  and  she 


238  CHAPTER  XLVII. 

carried  it  and  was  a  nurse  to  it.   Now  Obed  was  the  father  of 
Isai,  whose  son  was  David,  of  whose  race  Christ  was  born 9. 

7  It  was  her  own  impulse  to  go  and  glean  ears  of  corn  for  her 
mother-in-law,  as  was  the  custom  among  the  poor;  but  she  first  modestly 
asked  Noemi's  consent.  —  8  She  was,  therefore,  very  industrious.  This 
pleased  Booz,  and  made  him  speak  to  her  as  he  did.  —  9  David, 
therefore,  was  grandson  to  Obed,  and  great-grandson  to  Booz  and  Ruth. 

II.  Commentary. 

Divine  Providence.  Was  it  by  chance  that  Ruth  went  to 
the  field  of  Booz?  No,  she  went  there  by  the  guidance  of 
a  good  and  wise  Providence.  God  ordained  that  Booz  should 
get  to  know  the  virtuous  Ruth,  and  should,  though  she  was 
poor,  take  her  as  his  wife.  This  was  so  ordained  in  order 
that  Ruth  and  Noemi  should  be  rewarded  for  their  virtues. 
J  Noemi  was  now  above  want,  and  could  serve  God  without 
I  anxiety  about  her  maintenance.   Nothing  happens  by  chance. 

Several  beautiful  examples  of  virtue  are  put  before  us  in 
this  story. 

]}£ogr$i  left  her  home  only  from  necessity,  and  kept  her 
faith  untarnished  in  the  midst  of  a  heathen  society ;  and  as 
soon  as  the  famine  was  over,  returned  to  her  own  country 
and  fellow-believers.  She  unselfishly  allowed  her  daughters- 
in-law  to  remain  in  Moab,  and  asked  God  to  bless  them: 
she  did  not  wish  them  to  share  her  poverty  or  help  to 
support  her.  There  is  one  point  to  which  I  wish  to  draw 
your  attention,  as  it  might  not  strike  you  of  yourselves.  By 
her  living  faith,  her  real  piety  and  sincere  love,  in  a  word, 
by  her  good  example,  Noemi  converted  her  daughter- 
in-law  Ruth  to  the  true  faith,  so  that  the  latter  was  able 
to  say:  "Thy  God  is  my  God."  Oh,  if  only  all  Catholics 
would  act  as  she  did;  if  they  would  only  act  up  to  their 
holy  faith  and  practise  the  virtues  which  it  teaches,  then 
the  whole  world  would  be  convinced  of  the  truth  and  excellence 
of  the  Catholic  faith!  Our  Divine  Lord  said:  "Let  your 
light  shine  before  men  that  they  may  see  your  good  works, 
and  glorify  your  Father  Who  is  in  heaven." 

Ruth  left  her  home  and  friends  both  out  of  attachment  to 
her  mother-in-law  and  fidelity  to  her  faith.     Once  she  had 


RUTH'S  AFFECTION  FOR  HER  MOTHER-IN-LAW.  239 

got  to  know  the  true  God,  she  wished  to  dwell  with  the 
people  of  God;  and  so  firm  was  she  in  her  resolution  that  f- 
neither  the  persuasions  of  Noemi  nor  the  example  of  Orpha 
could  move  her  from  it.  She  was,  therefore,  steadfast  in 
faith,  and  gave  up  everything  rather  than  live  with  unbelievers, 
and  place  her  soul  in  danger.  She  was,  furthermore, 
distinguished  for  her  humility,  obedience,  and  diligence.  She 
asked  Noemi's  permission  to  glean;  she  was  not^ashamed 
of  her  poverty;  she  was  indefatigable  in  her  labour  of 
gleaning,  and  saved  some  of  her  dinner  for  Noemi:  thus7*" 
she  perfectly  fulfilled  the  Fourth  Commandment.  Would 
that  all  children  had  as  great  a  love  for  their  own  parents  as 
Ruth  had  for  her  mother-in-law !  You  see  how  Holy  Scripture 
praises  Ruth's  diligence.  Diligence  is  a  virtue  and  does  honour 
to  those  who  practise  it.  Sloth  is  a  vice  and  a  capital  sin, 
and  brings  shame  and  disgrace  in  its  train.  Ruth  was  also 
retiring,  modest  and  pm;e :  the  whole  town  testified  to  her 
being  a  virtuous  woman.  God  rewarded  her  virtue  by  giving^ 
her  a  good  and  wealthy  husband,  and  by  making  her  the  great- 
grandmother  of  king  David  and  (because  Christ  was  of  the  fa- 
mily of  David)  one  of  the  ancestors  of  the  Divine  Redeemer. 
Booz  loved  his  neighbour,  and  had  compassion  on  the  poor 
and,  to  him,  unknown  Ruth.  He  behaved  very  nobly  in 
taking  Ruth  as  his  wife  in  spite  of  her  poverty:  he  veryy 
rightly  valued  Ruth's  virtues  more  highly  than  gold  and 
riches.  God  rewarded  him,  for  He  gave  him  a  most  virtuous 
wife,  and  blessed  his  marriage,  so  that  he  became  one  of 
the  forefathers  of  the  Messias. 

Ruth  is  a  type  of  the  Church  of  the  Gentiles.  Though  born  a 
heathen,  she  obtained,  by  her  conversion,  a  share  in  the  blessings  of 
Israel,  and  was  even  chosen  to  be  an  ancestress  of  the  Redeemer. 
By  this  God  signified  that  the  heathen,  if  they  would  believe  and 
be  converted,  should  have  a  share  in  the  salvation  which  was  to 
spring  from  Israel. 

III.  Application. 

Ruth  brought  joy  and  honour  to  her  mother-in-law.  Do 
you  cause  joy  to  your  parents?  Have  you  never  brought 
shame  over  them  or  caused  them  grief? 


240  CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

Be  kind  and  generous  to  the  poor.  Do  not  look  down 
on  poor  children.  Do  you  not  give  preference  among  your 
friends  to  the  children  of  rich  parents  ?  A  man's  worth  does 
not  consist  in  what  he  has,  but  in  what  he  is.  Virtues  such 
as  faith,  love,  diligence,  modesty,  truth  and  humility  are 
the  greatest  of  riches:  everything  perishes  except  virtue. 
God  looks  to  the  heart,  not  to  the  outward  appearance  or 
wealth.  He  who  is  without  faith  is  the  poorest  of  men, 
never  mind  how  much  money  he  may  possess.  Are  these 
your  sentiments  ?  Do  you  like  associating  with  good  children  ? 

Are  you  diligent  from  morning   till  night,  as  Ruth  was? 

Chapter  XLVIII. 
SAMUEL.— IMPIETY  OF  THE  SONS  OF  HELL 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

N  the  days  when  Heli ,   the  High  Priest ,  was  Judge  1  in 


i 


Israel,  there  lived  at  Mount  Ephraim  a  virtuous  man, 
called  Elcana,  and  the  name  of  his  wife  was  Anna.  Now 
Anna  had  no  children.  She,  therefore,  multiplied  her  prayers 
before  the  Lord  that  He  would  deign  to  give  her  children. 
So  one  day  she  went  to  Silo  to  pray  in  the  Tabernacle  of 
the  Lord.  There,  before  the  door  of  the  Tabernacle,  she 
shed  many  tears  and  prayed,  and  made  a  vow  saying: 
"0  Lord  of  Hosts2,  if  Thou  wilt  be  mindful  of  me  and 
give  me  a  man-child,  I  will  give  him  to  the  Lord  all  the 
days  of  his  life." 

The  Lord  heard  her  prayer,  and  gave  her  a  son,  whom 
she  called  Samuel,  which  means,  God-given.  Now,  when 
three  years  were  passed,  and  the  child  was  yet  very  young, 
Anna  took  three  calves,  three  bushels  of  flower,  and  a  bottle 
of  wine,  and  carrying  the  boy  with  her  she  went  to  the 
House  of  the  Lord.  There  she  offered  her  son  to  Heli  the 
High  Priest,  saying:  "The  Lord  has  granted  my  petition, 
therefore  I  also  have  lent  my  child  to  the  Lord  all  the 
days  of  his  life."  And  the  child  ministered  in  the  sight  of 
the  Lord  before  the  face  of  Heli.  Now,  the  two  sons  of 
Heli,  Ophni  and  Phinees,   were  wicked  and  had  no  fear  of 


SAMUEL.— IMPIETY  OF  THE  SONS  OF  HELL 


241 


God3,  for  when  the  people  came  to  offer  sacrifices,  Ophni 
and  Phinees  carried  the  flesh  of  the  victims  away  by  force. 
So  their  sin  was  very  great,  because  they  withdrew  men 
from  the  sacrifice  of  the  Lord. 

Heli  knew  all  this;  he  knew  what  wicked  things  his 
sons  did  in  the  Sanctuary,  and  he  mildly  rebuked  them, 
saying:  "It  is  no  good  report  that  I  hear,  that  you  make 
the  people  of  the  Lord  to  transgress."  But,  being  very  old, 
he  took  no  severe  measures  to  punish  them,  or  prevent  their 
evil  deeds. 

1  Heli,  being  successor  to  Aaron,  was  High  Priest;  as  well  as 
Judge.  He,  therefore,  combined  in  his  person  the  highest  spiritual 
and  the  highest  temporal  authority.  —  2  Ruler  over  all  the  hosts 
of  men  upon  earth  and  of  angels  in  heaven.  —  8  Heli's  sons  are 
called  in  Holy  Scripture  children  of  Belial,  or  of  the  devil,  because 
of  their  wickedness.  Whilst  the  sacrifice  (sin-  or  peace-offering) 
was  seething  in  the  caldron,  they  used  to  thrust  in  a  flesh-hook 
and  take  the  best  of  the  flesh  for  themselves.  They  also  took  for 
themselves  of  the  flesh  of  the  whole-burnt  offerings,  in  which  the 
victims  ought  to  have  been  entirely  consumed  by  fire.  This  made 
the  people  very  angry,  and  they  were  unwilling  to  offer  sacrifices. 
Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  11 


242  CHAPTER  XL VIII. 

If  the  sons  of  the  High  Priest  violated  the  sacrificial  laws  so  grossly, 
it  was  but  to  be  expected  that  the  people  should  lose  their  respect 
for  the  sacrifices. 

It  came  to  pass  that  one  night,  before  the  lamp  of  the 
Lord  had  gone  out,  Heli  slept  on  a  couch  near  the  Taber- 
nacle, and  Samuel  hard  by4.  The  Lord  called  Samuel.  He 
answered:  "Here  am  I,"  and  went  to  Heli  and  asked: 
"Why  hast  thou  called  me?"  But  Heli  replied:  "I  did  not 
call  thee,  my  son;  return  and  sleep." 

So  he ,  returned  and  slept  again.  But  the  Lord  called 
him  a  second  time,  and  Samuel  acted  as  before.  Heli  said: 
"I  did  not  call  thee,  my  son;  return  and  sleep."  Then  the 
Lord  called  Samuel  a  third  time.  And  Samuel,  rising  up, 
went  again  to  Heli,  saying:  "Here  am  I,  for  thou  didst  call 
me."   Heli  now  understood  that  the  Lord  had  called  the  boy. 

And  he  said  to  Samuel:  "Go  and  sleep,  and  if  He  shall 
call  thee  any  more,  thou  shalt  say:  "Speak,  Lord,  for 
Thy  servant  heareth!"  So  Samuel  went  and  slept  in  his 
place.  Then  the  Lord  came  and  stood,  and  called:  "Samuel, 
Samuel."  He  answered:  "Speak,  Lord,  for  Thy  servant 
heareth."  The  Lord  spoke:  "Behold,  I  will  do  a  thing  in 
Israel,  and  whosoever  shall  hear  it,  both  his  ears  shall  tingle. 
In  that  day  I  will  raise  up  against  Heli  all  the  things  that 
I  have  spoken.  I  will  begin  and  I  will  make  an  end,  be- 
cause he  knew  that  his  sons  did  wickedly,  and  he  would 
not  chastise  them." 

Next  morning,  Heli  asked  the  boy  to  tell  him  what  the 
Lord  had  said 5.  But  Samuel  was  afraid.  Heli,  however,  in- 
sisted, and  Samuel  at  length  told  the  vision.  Thereupon 
Heli  humbly6  replied:  "It  is  the  Lord;  let  Him  do  what  is 
good  in  His  sight." 

4  Where  cells,  or  little  rooms,  were  built  for  those  priests  who 
had  to  attend  to  the  service  of  the  Tabernacle.  —  5  He  suspected 
that  the  revelation  contained  nothing  that  portended  good  to  himself. 
—  6  and  full  of  resignation. 

Now  in  those  days  it  came  to  pass  that  the  Philistines 
waged  war  against  Israel,  and  when  they  joined  battle,  the 
Israelites  were  defeated,  and  lost  about  four  thousand  men. 


SAMUEL.— IMPIETY  OF  THE  SONS  OF  HELL  243 

After  the  people  had  returned  to  the  camp,  the  ancients  of 
Israel  said:  "Let  us  fetch  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  from 
Silo,  that  it  may  save  us  from  the  hands  of  our  enemies."  7 
They  sent  therefore  to  Silo,  and  the  two  sons  of  Heli8, 
Ophai  and  Phinees,  accompanied  the  Ark  to  the  camp.  The 
people,  on  beholding  the  Ark  in  their  midst,  set  up  a  great 
shout,  and  the  earth  rang  with  their  shouting. 

The  Philistines,  however,  made  a  new  attack,  and  the 
Israelites  were  again  defeated,  with  great  slaughter;  thirty 
thousand  were  slain,  and  the  rest  put  to  flight.  And  a 
messenger  came  to  Heli,  saying:  "Thy  two  sons,  Ophni  and 
Phinees,  are  dead,  and  the  Ark  of  the  Lord  is  taken."  Now, 
Heli,  who  was  far  advanced  in  years,  on  hearing  that  the 
Ark  was  taken,  fell  from  his  chair  backwards  by  the  door, 
and  broke  his  neck  and  died 9.  The  Philistines  took  the  Ark 
of  the  Lord,  and  placed  it  in  the  temple  of  Dagon,  their 
false  god ! 10 

Next  morning  when  they  went  into  the  temple,  they  found 
the  idol  lying  prostrate  on  the  ground  before  the  Ark.  Be- 
sides, the  Lord  afflicted  them  with  many  evils  on  account 
of  the  Ark.  Many  persons  died,  and  from  the  fields  there 
came  forth  a  multitude  of  mice ,  and  there  was  great  con- 
fusion in  the  country. 

Perceiving  this  the  Philistines  resolved  that  the  Ark  of 
God  should  no  longer  remain  amongst  them.  Then  they  took 
the  Ark  and  laid  it  upon  a  cart,  and  taking  two  kine,  or 
young  cows,  they  yoked  them  to  the  cart.  The  cows  took 
the  way  that  led  to  Bethsames,  and  thus  the  Ark  was 
brought  again  into  the  country  of  the  Israelites. 

Meanwhile,  after  the  death  of  Heli ,  Samuel  had  become 
Judge  in  Israel.  He  assembled  the  people,  reproached  them 
for  their  evil  doings,  and  then  said:  "If  you  turn  to  the 
Lord  with  all  your  heart,  and  put  away  the  strange  gods 
from  among  you,  and  prepare  your  hearts  unto  the  Lord, 
and  serve  Him  only 1X,  He  will  deliver  you  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  Philistines." 

So  they  humbled  themselves  before  God  in  prayer  and 
fasting.    And  the  Lord  took  pity  upon  them,  and  gave  them 

11* 


244  CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

such  a  victory  over  the  Philistines  12,  that   for  many  years 
after  they  did  not  dare  to  approach  the  frontiers  of  Israel. 

7  They  wished  to  have  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  with  them  because 
they  remembered  the  miracles  which  God  had  worked  by  means  of 
it,  both  at  the  passage  of  the  Jordan,  and  at  the  siege  of  Jericho, 
and  they  hoped  that  its  sacred  presence  would  now  procure  a  victory 
for  them.  —  8  who  were  with  the  Ark.  —  9  The  good  old  High 
Priest  did  not  fall  backward  when  he  heard  that  his  sons  had  perished, 
but  only  when  the  messenger  told  him  that  the  Ark  had  been  taken. 
This  last  news  struck  him  with  more  horror  than  the  first,  for  he 
believed  that  it  meant  that  God's  covenant  with  His  people  was  now 
broken,  and  that  Israel  would  be  destroyed.  —  10  This  was  not  in 
order  to  pay  honour  to  the  Ark,  but  so  as  to  make  an  offering  of  it 
to  their  god  Dagon,  to  whom  they  believed  they  owed  their  victory. 
God,  however,  proved  to  them  that  their  idol  was  worth  nothing, 
and  could  do  nothing.  —  M  for  they  worshipped  idols  at  the  same 
time  that  they  were  worshipping  the  Lord  God.  —  12  God  sent  a 
terrible  storm  of  thunder  and  lightning  which  threw  the  Philistine 
army  into  confusion,  and  made  its  defeat  easy. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Justice  of  God.  This  story  teaches  us  above  all  things 
to  know,  fear  and  love  God.  He  rewarded  the  virtuous 
Samuel  by  revealing  Himself  to  him,  by  calling  him  to  be 
Judge,  and  by  freeing  and  converting  His  people  through 
him.  On  the  other  hand  God  punished  Heli,  his  sons,  and 
the  impenitent  Israelites  by  their  defeat,  and  the  loss  of 
the  Ark.  He  also  punished  the  idolatrous  Philistines  by 
means  of  various  plagues,  and  finally  by  their  complete 
overthrow. 

The  Goodness  and  Mercy  of  God.  He  graciously  heard  Anna's 
prayer,  and  sent  her  a  son.  He  called  Samuel  from  his  ear- 
liest infancy  to  serve  Him  in  the  Tabernacle,  loaded  him 
with  favours,  preserved  him  from  being  contaminated  by 
Heli's  sons,  and  made  him  judge  and  saviour  of  his  people. 
God  forgave  the  repentant  people  their  faithlessness ,  and 
gave  them  a  great  victory  over  those  who  had  oppressed  them. 

The  Faithfulness  of  God.  Samuel,  in  God's  name,  said  to 
the  Israelites:  "If  you  turn  to  the  Lord  with  all  your  heart, 
He  will  deliver  you."  God  kept  this  promise,  as  He  also 
kept  His  threat  against  Heli  and  his  sons. 


SAMUEL.— IMPIETY  OF  THE  SONS  OF  HELL  245 

God  is  Lord  over  nature.  It  was  God  Who  overthrew 
the  image  of  Dagon;  it  was  He  who  sent  the  mice  to  de- 
vastate the  land  of  the  Philistines,  the  pestilence  which 
swept  away  the  idolaters ,  and  the  storm  which  threw  their 
army  into  confusion. 

Prayer  in  time  of  trouble.  Anna's  example  teaches  us  that 
we  ought  to  have  recourse  to  fervent  prayer  when  we  are 
suffering,  or  in  any  sort  of  trouble;  for  God  is  the  great 
Consoler  and  Helper,  being  holy  and  all  powerful.  "Is  any 
of  you  sad,  let  him  pray"  (James  5,  13). 

The  power  of  prayer.  By  prayer  Anna  obtained  a  son;  and 
by  prayer  Samuel  obtained  help  for  his  people.  "Samuel 
cried  to  the  Lord  for  Israel,  and  the  Lord  heard  him" 
(1  Kings  7,  9).  Why,  therefore,  should  not  God  hearken  to 
the  intercession  of  the  saints  in  heaven? 

Keeping  vows  (see  Commentary,  Chapt.  XVI).  Anna  kept  her 
vow  faithfully.  She  most  certainly  wished  to  keep  her  be- 
loved child  with  her,  but,  all  the  same,  she  "lent  him  to 
the  Lord". 

Fasting  and  confession  of  sins  are  penances  well-pleasing 
to  God,  and  obtain  pardon  from  Him.  The  Israelites  be- 
wailed and  confessed  their  sins,  formed  good  resolutions, 
and  made  satisfaction  by  fasting. 

Piety,  obedience,  and  truthfulness.  Young  Samuel  did  not 
let  himself  be  led  away  by  the  bad  example  of  Heli's  sons, 
but  rather  imitated  the  piety  of  the  aged  High  Priest,  and 
was  zealous  in  the  performance  of  the  work  given  him  to 
do  for  God.  He  was  obedient  to  Heli,  whose  own  sons  had 
renounced  the  obedience  due  to  him.  Each  time  during  the 
night  that  he  heard  his  name  called  he  sprang  from  his 
bed,  and  ran  to  Heli,  saying:  "Here  am  I!"  Thus  promptly 
and  cheerfully  should  all  children  obey  their  parents  and 
those  set  over  them.  Samuel  showed  his  truthfulness  when 
Heli  asked  him  what  the  Lord  had  revealed  to  him.  It 
pained  him  to  say  anything  disagreeable  to  the  kind  old 
High  Priest,  but,  being  asked,  he  told  him  everything.  Thus 
you,  too,  should  always  speak  the  truth  when  questioned  by 
those  set  over  you. 


246  CHAPTER  XL VIII. 

Sacrilege.  Reverence  in  the  House  of  God.  Heli's  sons  were 
impious  and  dissolute.  They  dishonoured  the  Sanctuary,  and 
brought  sacrifices  into  disrepute.  If  the  desecration  of  the 
Tabernacle  of  the  Old  Covenant  was  such  a  great  sin,  how 
much  more  ought  we  to  guard  against  any  desecration  of 
our  churches !  If  any  wrong  conduct,  relating  to  the  typical 
sacrifices  of  the  Old  Testament,  was  so  severely  punished, 
how  sinful  and  criminal  must  it  be  for  Christians  to  behave 
irreverently  during  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  and  even 
whisper,  laugh  &c. ! 

Punishment  of  disobedient  children.  If  the  sons  of  Heli 
had  hearkened  to  and  obeyed  the  injunctions  of  their  good 
father,  they  would  not  have  been  punished  by  God.  But 
as  they  would  not  listen  to  his  warnings,  they  died  a  vio- 
lent death,  and  their  names  have  ever  since  been  associated 
with  ignominy. 

Sharing  in  the  guilt  of  others.  Heli  was  a  virtuous,  God- 
fearing man.  He  was  so  anxious  about  the  Ark  of  the  Co- 
venant that  the  news  of  its  capture  affected  him  more  than 
the  news  of  the  death  of  his  sons.  Moreover,  he  was  en- 
tirely resigned  to  God's  will,  when  Samuel  announced  to  him 
his  approaching  punishment.  ("It  is  the  Lord;  let  Him  do 
what  is  good  in  His  sight!")  Why  then  was  this  virtuous 
servant  of  God  punished  by  sudden  death?  God  Himself 
said  that  it  was  because  he  did  not  correct  his  sons.  He 
was  too  good-natured  and  weak  towards  them.  He  ought 
to  have  been  strict  with  them  when  they  were  young,  and 
have  punished  them  severely  when  they  would  not  listen  to 
his  injunctions.  "He  who  will  not  hear  must  feel."  He  was 
too  indulgent,  he  said  to  himself  that  they  would  be  more 
reasonable  and  would  improve  as  they  grew  older.  Instead  of 
this  they  grew  up  quite  beyond  control,  became  accustomed 
to  evil,  and  no  more  consulted  their  father  about  any- 
thing. Now,  I  ask  you:  Was  it  a  happiness  for  these  men 
that  their  father  should  be  so  indulgent  towards  them, 
and  should  never  correct  them?  How  much  sorrow  and 
suffering  would  Heli  have  spared  himself,  how  much  trouble 
would  he  have  avoided,  if  he  had  corrected  his  sons  betimes. 


SAMUEL.— IMPIETY  OF  THE  SONS  OF  HELL      247 

As  he  did  not  do  so,  he  shared  in  their  guilt,  and  was 
punished  by  God.  Children,  if  they  take  advantage  of  their 
parents'  kindness ,  bring  unhappiness  and  even  eternal  ruin 
both  on  themselves  and  on  their  parents.  It  is  a  strict  duty 
of  parents  to  punish  the  wrong-doings  of  their  children.  It 
is  a  false  love,  and  a  great  misfortune  for  children  when 
parents  are  weak  and  over  indulgent.  Holy  Scripture  says : 
"He  that  spareth  the  rod  hateth  his  son:  but  he  that 
loveth  him  correcteth  him  betimes"  (Prov.  13,  24). 

Grace  cannot  be  obtained  without  repentance.   The  Israelites 

thought  that  if  they  had  the  Ark  with  them,  God  would  be 

sure  to  protect  them  and  give  them  the  victory.    But  how 

could  the   tables   of  the  law  inside  the  Ark  avail  them,  if 

they   no   longer   carried  the   law   of   God  in   their  hearts? 

They  ought  first  to  have  sincerely  repented,  and  then,  God 

would  have  been  gracious  to  them.    Nothing  holy,  not  even 

the  Sacraments,  can  help  us,  if  we  do  not  first  turn  to  God 

and  cast  away  strange  gods  (i.  e.  sinful  habits  and  passions). 

Resistance  of  God's  grace.     Samuel,  the  "asked   of  God",  was,  as 

his  very  name   signifies,  a  child  of  grace.    He  did,  in  fact,  receive 

many  graces  from  God ;  but  then,  he  faithfully  co-operated  with  them, 

and   thus   became  in  time   the  converter   and   saviour  of  his   people 

when  they  were  in  adversity.    Heli's  sons  were  also  highly  favoured 

by  God.    They  were  called  to  the  priesthood  by  right  of  their  birth; 

they  grew  up  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  had  the  good  example  of  their 

father  before  their  eyes  from  their  youth  up ;  but  they  resisted  God's 

grace,  lightly  rejected  their  father's  warnings,  and  drew  on  themselves 

the    displeasure    of  the   best  among   the   people.    By  their  misuse  of 

grace  their  hearts  grew  harder  and  harder.    Once  more  God  tried  to 

move  them,  by  letting  them  know  through  Samuel  that  the  day  was 

not   far  off  when  He  would   punish  them  and  their  father,  but  they 

would  not  profit  by  this  grace.    Still  hardened  in  sin,  they  went  out 

to  fight,  and  died  an  impenitent  death  at  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

Hearkening  to  the  word  of  God.  Whenever  we  hear  the  word  of 
God  (whether  in  sermons,  or  instructions  &c),  we  should  say  with  Sa- 
muel :  "Speak,  Lord,  for  Thy  servant  heareth."  We  should  listen  eagerly 
to  the  word  of  God  which  He  speaks  to  us  through  the  mouths  of  His 
priests.  "He  that  heareth  you,  heareth  Me,"  said  our  Lord  (Luke  10, 16). 
Worthy  and  unworthy  Communion.  The  Ark  brought  blessing  and 
divine  protection  to  the  Israelites  as  long  as  they  feared  God,  but 
when  they  forgot  Him  and  would  not  repent,  it  brought  them  misfortune 
and  defeat;  and  even  brought  plagues  and  pestilence  on  the  Philistine 


248  CHAPTER  XLIX. 

idolaters.  Thus  it  is  with  the  Most  Holy  of  the  New  Covenant.  Holy 
Communion  brings  priceless  blessings  to  the  penitent,  but  a  curse 
and  eternal  damnation  to  the  impenitent. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  promptly  obey  the  commands  of  your  parents  and 
those  who  are  set  over  you  ?  Do  you  go  to  them  as  soon  as 
you  are  called?  Do  you  get  up  as  soon  as  you  are  told? 
Do  you  take  to  heart  their  injunctions  and  exhortations? 
Are  you  most  like  Samuel,  or  the  sons  of  Heli? 

How  do  you  behave  during  the  services  of  the  Church? 
Do  you  always  speak  the  truth?  Be  truthful,  even  when 
it  costs  you  a  good  deal  to  be  so,  and  when  you  have  to 
face  reproof  or  punishment. 


THE    KINGS. 

(1095—588  B.  C.) 


Chapter  XLIX. 
SAUL  ELECTED  KING  (1095  B.  C). 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  these  days  it  came  to  pass  that  when  Samuel 
was  old,  he  appointed  his  two  sons  as  Judges  over 
Israel.  They,  however,  were  not  like  their  father  \  but  took 
bribes  and  perverted  judgment.  So  the  ancients  came  to 
Samuel  and  said:  "Thy  sons  walk  not  in  thy  ways;  there- 
fore give  us  a  king  to  judge  us,  as  all  nations  have."  This 
word  was  displeasing  to  Samuel,  for  he  knew  that  the  Lord 
was  their  king,  and  none  other  2.  Still  the  Lord  told  him 
to  hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  people,  and  to  give  them  a 
king  for  their  punishment.  Moreover,  he  added,  the  king 
would  rule  over  them  with  a  heavy  hand 3,  and  they  would 
cry  out  and  lament,  but  the  Lord  would  not  hear  them, 
because  they  had  desired  for  themselves  a  king. 

Now,   there  was  a  man  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  who 
/  lost  his  asses,  and  he  said  to  Saul,  his  son:  "Take  one  of 


SAUL  ELECTED  KING.  249 

the  servants  with  thee,  and  arise,  go  and  seek  the  asses." 
So  they  both  started  out  and  came  to  the  land  of  Suph, 
and  entered  the  city  where  Samuel  dwelt.  Now,  the  day 
before  Saul's  arrival,  the  Lord  had  spoken  to  Samuel:  "To- 
morrow, about  this  same  hour,  I  will  send  to  thee  a  man, 
whom  thou  shalt  anoint  king  over  my  people  Israel."  It 
so  happened  that  Samuel  met  Saul  in  the  midst  of  the  city. 
And  Samuel  said:  "Go  up  before  me,  that  you  may  eat 
with  me  to-day,  and  that  I  may  let  you  go  in  the  morning 4. 
As  for  the  asses,  be  not  solicitous,  for  they  are  found."  Next 
morning,  when  the  day  began  to  dawn,  Samuel  took  a  little 
vial  of  oil 5,  and  poured  it  on  the  head  of  Saul,  and  kissed 
him 6,  and  said :  "  Behold,  the  Lord  has  anointed  thee  to  bej 
prince  over  His  inheritance."  V 

Thereupon  Samuel  assembled  the  people,  and  Saul  stood 
in  their  midst ;  and  he  was  a  choice  man,  being  taller  than 
any  one  else  from  his  shoulders  and  upwards.  Then  Samuel 
said:  "Behold  him  whom  the  Lord  has  chosen."  And  the 
people  cried  out:  "God  save  the  king!"7 

1  They  were  not  just  and  God-fearing  like  their  father.  —  2  This 
desire  to  have  an  earthly  king  seemed  to  him  to  be,  on  the  people's 
part,  a  renunciation  of  the  divine  government  of  God.  —  3  and  exercise 
great  power  over  them,  imposing  burdens  and  taxes  on  them.  He 
told  them  this  so  that  later,  when  they  felt  the  hand  of  the  king 
to  press  heavily  on  them ,  they  might  not  complain.  —  4  Samuel 
knew  this,  because  God  had  revealed  it  to  him.  —  5  for  the  typical 
signification  of  oil,  see  Chapt.  XVI.  The  anointing  of  Saul  was  a  sign 
that  God  had  chosen  him  to  be  king;  and  at  that  moment  the  Lord 
gave  to  His  anointed  the  gifts  necessary  for  his  high  calling,  i.  e. 
wisdom ,  strength ,  justice.  —  6  as  a  sign  of  homage.  —  7  By  these 
words  they  acknowledged   him  as  their  king,  and  paid  him  homage. 

Now,  the  people  of  Amalec  were  very  bad,  and  the 
measure  of  their  iniquity  was  full.  God,  in  His  wrath, 
sent  Samuel  to  Saul,  saying:  "Go  and  smite  Amalec  and: 
all  that  he  hath.  Spare  him  not,  nor  covet  anything  that  is 
his,  but  slay  both  man  and  woman  and  child,  ox  and  sheep 
and  camel." 

Saul,  therefore,  waged  war  against  Amalec,  and  defeated 
them  along  the  line  from  Hevila  till  Sur.  The  common  people 


250  CHAPTER  XLIX. 

he  slew  with  the  edge  of  the  sword;  but,  contrary  to  the 
command  of  God,  he  spared  Agag  the  king.  The  flocks  and 
herds  of  little  value  he  also  destroyed,  but  spared  the  best 
flocks  and  the  best  herds.  Moreover,  filled  with  pride,   and 

/  forgetting  that  success  comes  from  God,  he  erected  an  arch 

(  of  triumph  in  memory  of  his  victory 8. 

When  Samuel  had  come  to  the  camp  of  Israel,  Saul  said 
to  him:  "I  have  fulfilled  the  word  of  the  Lord."  Samuel 
answered:  "What  meaneth,  then,  the  bleating  of  the  flocks, 

5  and  the  lowing  of  the  herds  which  I  hear?"  Saul  tried  to 
excuse  himself,  saying  that  the  people  had  spared  the  best 
flocks  and  herds ,  to  sacrifice  them  to  the  Lord  9.  Samuel, 
being  angry,  spoke  to  him  in  the  name  of  the  Lord:  "Doth 
the  Lord  desire  holocausts  and  victims,  and  not  rather  that 
the  voice  of  the  Lord  should  be  obeyed?  For  obedience  is 
better  than  sacrifices;  and  to  hearken  better  than  to  offer 
the  fat  of  rams. 

C>,"For  as  much,  therefore,  as  thou  hast  rejected  the  word  of 
the  Lord10,  the  Lord  hath  also  rejected  thee  from  being 
king  over  Israel11.  The  Lord  hath  rent  the  kingdom  from 
thee  this  day,  and  has  given  it  to  one  who  is  better."  Then 
Samuel  departed,  and  beheld  Saul  no  more  till  the  day  of  his 
death.  The  rejection  of  Saul  teaches  us  that  disobedience  to 
the  voice  of  God  is  visited  with  severe  chastisements. 

8  As  if  he  owed  the  glory  of  his  victory  to  himself  and  not  to 
God.  —  9  He  tried  to  lay  the  blame  on  his  people.  —  10  because 
you  have  set  aside  the  command  of  God,  and  not  obeyed  it.  —  Had 
Saul  remained  faithful  to  God,  the  royal  dignity  would  have  passed 
on  to  his  son.  God's  rejection  of  Saul  consisted  in  this:  firstly,  that 
the  kingdom  would  not  remain  in  Saul's  family;  and,  secondly,  that 
the  crown  was  snatched  from  Saul  himself  by  a  premature  death, 
and  given  to  David,  who,  even  in  Saul's  lifetime,  was  anointed  to  be 
his  successor. 

II.  Commentary. 

God's  Providence  directed  that  the  asses  should  be  lost  and 
that  Saul,  while  seeking  them,  should  meet  Samuel.  By  God's 
command  Samuel  anointed  Saul  king,  and  presented  him  as 
such  to  the  people.  God  commands  and  directs  everything 
as  He  desires. 


SAUL  ELECTED  KING.  251 

f  God's  Goodness  to  the  Israelites  is  shown  by  His  granting 
their  request  to  have  a  king.    It  was  Saul,  however,  whom 
he  especially  loaded  with  proofs  of  His  love.    Saul  acknow- 
ledged his   unworthness   in   the    words    which   he    used   to 
/Samuel:  "I  am  of  the  least  tribe  of  Israel,  and  my  kindred 
/the  least  among  all  the  families  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin !" 
\  And  yet  God  chose  him  to  be  king  over  His  people,  turned 
-the  hearts  of  the  Israelites  towards  him,  and  gave  him  the 
•victory  over  all  his  enemies.  —  What  more  could  God  have 
/done  to  ensure  Saul's   unbounded  gratitude  and  willing  ob- 
Vedience! 

The  Justice_  of  God.  Saul  was  ungrateful  and  disobedient 
to  God,  and  "therefore,  the  punishment  of  divine  justice  fell 
on  him.  He  was  rejected  by  God ;  God's  blessing  left  him ; 
and  his  throne  passed,  not  to  his  son,  but  to  David. 

Pride.  Saul's  misfortunes  sprang  from  pride.  He  became 
proud  on  account  of  his  high  dignity,  and  on  account  of 
the  victories  which  God  gave  him,  so  that  he  began  to  trust 
in  himself  and  did  not  give  glory  to  God.  Being  proud  and 
arrogant,  he  no  longer  obeyed  God's  commands,  but  kept 
back  the  best  of  the  flocks  of  the  Amalekites.  Pride  leads 
to  disobedience.  When  Saul,  by  his  grievous  sin,  had  forsaken 
God,  then  God  forsook  him.  "God  resisteth  the  proud,  and 
'giveth  grace  to  the  humble"  (James  4,  6). 

Obedience  to  God.  To  Saul's  excuse  that  the  flocks  and 
herds  had  been  kept  to  offer  as  sacrifices,  Samuel,  filled 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  replied:  "Obedience  is  better  than 
sacrifice",  i.  e.  sacrifices  of  beasts  are  good  and  pleasing  to 
God,  if  they  are  offered  with  a  right  intention;  but  still 
better  and  more  pleasing  to  God  is  obedience,  whereby  a 
man  offers  to  God  the  spiritual  sacrifice  of  his  own  will,  onf 
the  altar  of  his  heart.  By  sacrifices  man  gives  to  God  some-) 
thing  which  he  possesses;  by  obedience  he  offers  himself,) 
and  his  free  will,  the  noblest  of  all  his  possessions.  Hq 
who  loves  God  will  love  and  do  His  holy  will.  V 

Jesus  Christ,  or  the  Anointed.  In  the  Old  Testament,  kings, 
as  well  as  High  Priests,  were  the  anointed  of  the  Lord. 
Jesus,  being  High  Priest  and  King,  is  indeed  the  Christ,  i.  e. 


252  CHAPTER  L. 

the  Anointed.     Jesus  is  king  both   because   he   is  God,  and 
because  He  reigns  over  His  spiritual  kingdom,  the  Church. 

The   kingdom   of  Israel   belonged   to  God.    Hitherto   the  Lord  God 

\had  been  the  immediate  King,  Lawgiver  and  Leader  of  His  peqple,.  Now 

it  was  His  will  to  give  them  an  earthly  king  to  he  His  representative, 

/and   to   govern  them  in  His  name,  and   according   to  His   laws.    He 

/  did  not  let  them  choose  their  own  king,  but  set  over  them  one  whom 

'  He  chose,  in  order  to  show  the  Israelites  that  He  Himself  still  remained 

their  supreme  King  and  Lord.    He  established  the  kingdom  of  Israel 

in  order,  firstly,  to  bind  the  twelve   tribes  into  a  closer  unity  than 

had   existed   under   the  Judges;   secondly,  to   show  the   people   that 

even  under  kings  they  can  prosper  only  when  they  observe  the  laws 

of  God;  and  thirdly,  to  foreshadow  the  kingdom  of  the  Messias.  Kings 

and    princes    reign  "by  the    grace  of  God":    i.  e.  they  are  appointed 

by  God,  to   govern  in  His  name;   therefore   their   subjects  ought   to 

honour,  love   and   obey  them,  as   the   representatives   of  God.    "Fear 

,  A  God;  honour  the  king"  (1  Petr.  2,  17). 

III.  Application. 

Ask  yourself  whether  you  are  proud  or  self-willed?  Do 
you  give  glory  to  God  when  you  succeed  in  anything?  Do 
you  boast?  Are  you  fond  of  talking  about  yourself?  Do 
you  take  pleasure  in  praising  others,  or  is  it  more  pleasing 
to  you  to  find  fault  with  them?  No  other  virtue  is  of  any 
value  in  God's  sight,  without  humility.  You  owe  to  God 
everything  that  you  are,  or  have,  or  can  do ;  therefore,  thank 
God  and  do  not  offend  Him  by  pride.  Be  very  careful  to- 
day to  utter  no  word  in  self-praise. 

Chapter  L. 
DAVID,  THE  YOUNG  SHEPHERD. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

SAMUEL  loved  Saul,  and  mourned  for  him  because  the 
Lord  had  rejected  him.  One  day  the  Lord  said  to  Samuel : 
"How  long  wilt  thou  mourn  for  Saul  whom  I  have  rejected? 
Fill  thy  horn  with  oil,  and  come,  that  I  may  send  thee  to 
Isai,  the  Bethlehemite ;  for  I  have  provided  me  a  king  among 
his  sons." 

So  Samuel  went  to  Bethlehem1,  and  took  with  him  a 
victim,  and  called  Isai  and  his  sons  to  partake  of  the  sacrifice2. 


DAVID,  THE  YOUNG  SHEPHERD. 


253 


Now  when  Eliab,  the   eldest   son,  had   come   forward,  who 
was  of  a  high  stature,  the  Lord  said  to  Samuel:  "Look  not 
•Aon  his  countenance;  for  man  seeth  those  things  that  appear, 
but  the  Lord  seeth  the  heart."  3 

Isai  then  called  in  his  other  sons,  one  by  one,  six  in 
number.  When  Samuel  had  seen  them  all,  he  said:  "The 
Lord  has  not  chosen  any  of  these.  Are  here  all  thy  sons?" 
Isai  replied:  "There  remaineth  yet  a  young  one,  who  keepeth 
the  sheep."  Samuel  hastened  to  answer:  "Send  and  fetch 
him,  for  we  will  not  sit  down  till  he  come  hither." 

Now,  when  David  came  in,  he  was  beautiful  to  behold,  and 

of  a   comely  face;   and  the  Lord  saiofT  "Arise,  and  anoint 

Mm,  ?orTins"isne."    Then  Samuel,  taking  the  horn  of  oil, 

l  anointed  him  in  the  midst  of  his  brethren.   Immediately  the 

}  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  David,  and  remained  with  him. 

1  This   little   town  lay  in   the  territory  of  the   tribe   of  Juda.  — 

2  to   assist   at  the   sacrifice   and   also    partake   of  it.  —  8  i.  e.  the 

qualities  of  the  heart,  whether  a  man  be  God-fearing,  humble  &c. 

But  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  departed  from  Saul,  and  an 
evil  spirit  troubled  him4.     Wherefore  the  servants   of  Saul 


254  CHAPTER  L. 

said  to  him:  "Let  our  lord  give  orders,  and   we   will  seek 
(  out  a  man,  skilful  in  playing  on   the  harp,  that  when    the 
;evil  spirit  is  upon  thee,  he  may  play  with  his   hand,  and 
"''thou  mayest  bear  it  more  easily." 

When  the  servants  saw  that  this  counsel  was  pleasing 
in  the  eyes  of  Saul,  one  of  them  added :  "  Behold,  I  have 
seen  the  son  of  Isai,  a  skilful  player,  and  a  man  fit  for 
war,  and  prudent  in  his  words,  and  a  comely  person." 
Thereupon  David  was  sent  for5.  And  whenever  the  evil 
spirit  was  upon  Saul,  David  took  his  harp  and  played  with 
his  hand  6,  and  Saul  was  refreshed  and  better,  for  the  evil 
spirit  departed  from  him7. 

4  The  consciousness  that,  through  his  own  fault,  he  was  forsaken  by 

God,  oppressed  him.    As  he  did  not  turn  to  God  by  prayer  and  penance, 

an  infernal   spirit   gained   influence   over  him,    and   kindled   in   him 

,  an  unnatural  melancholy,  so  that  his  soul  became  a  prey  to  the  evil 

\  passions  of  envy,  hatred  and  blood-thirstiness,  till  at  last  he  was  driven 

J  to  despair  and  suicide.  —  5  Saul  made  him  his  armour-bearer.  —  e  see 

picture,  Chapt.  XXIV.  —  7  David,  to  the  accompaniment  of  his  harp, 

sang   holy  Psalms   composed   by  himself.     As  Saul   had  not,  as  yet, 

entirely  given  himself  over  to  the  influence  of  the  evil  spirit,  his  mind 

was  calmed  and  cheered  by  David's  sacred  music,  and  the  consoling 

words  of  his  canticles. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  Omniscience  of  God.   He  knows  the  mind  and  feelings 
"A)f  man.  He  Knew  David  better  than  his  own  father  knew  him. 

The  Wisdom  of  God.  It  was  by  the  guidance  of  divine 
Providence  that,  on  account  of  his  musical  talents,  David 
was  summoned  to  the  court  of  theTang  wno,  naturally,  had 
no  suspicion  that  the  young  shepherd  was  destined  to  be 
his  successor.  The  simple  youth,  who  was  then  about  twenty 
years  old,  learnt  at  court  the  art  of  government  and  the 
duties  of  a  king,  and  was  thus  prepared  for  his  future 
position. 

^  The  Faithfulness  of  God.  Almighty  God,  by  choosing  David, 
of  the  triDe  of  Juda,  to  be  king,  fulfilled  that  which  He 
promised  by  the  mouth  of  the  dying  Jacob,  i.  e.  that  there 
should  be  a  sceptre  in  Juda,  which  should  not  depart  from 
him  till  the  Messias  Himself  came. 


DAVID,  THE  YOUNG  SHEPHERD.  255 

Obedience.  Samuel  was  obedient  to  God,  for  though  he 
was  very  sorry  that  Saul  was  rejected,  he  obeyed  when 
commanded  to  anoint  another  king.  David  was  obedient  to 
his  father.  He  did  not  murmur  at  not  being  included  jvith 
his  brothers  in  the  invitation  to  the  sacrifice,  but  cheerfully 
led  his  flocks  into  the  fields  of  Bethlehem. 

The  value  of  virtue.  God  rejected  the  proud  Saul,  and 
chose  the  young  and  humble  David  to  be  his  successor. 
Even  David's  father,  to  whom  Samuel  had  confided  that 
one  of  his  sons  was  chosen  to  be  king,  had  not  the  remotest 
idea  that  David,  the  shepherd  boy,  could  be  the  chosen  one. 
J3e  had  not  even  thought  it  worth  while  to  keep  his  youngest 
son  at  home,  but  had  sent  him  with  his  sheep  into  the  fields. 
..He  said  to  himself:  "God  will  be  sure  to  have  chosen  one 
of  my  elder,  fine,  warlike  sons."  But  the  eyes  of  God  were 
fixed  on  the  young,  modest  David,  for  He  does  not  look  tc/' 
the  appearance,  but  to  the  heart.  David  was  pious,  humbleA 
steadfast,  and  puje;  therefore  God  loved  him,  and  choser 
him  to  be  the  shepherd  of  His  people.  Beauty,  fine  clothes,' 
riches  are  nothing  in  the  eyes  of  God ;  the  only  thing  that 
is  of  value  in  His  sight  is  a  virtuous  heart.  He  who  wishes 
to  be  well-pleasing  to  God  must  strive  to  be  virtuous.         V. 

The  pious  shepherd-boy.     David   did   not  waste  his  time 

[while  he  was  watching  his  sheep.   He  prayed  and  meditated 

Ion  the  attributes  of  God  which  were  revealed  to   his   holy 

Imind  in  the  works  of  creation ;  and  in  the  joy  of  his  heart 

/he  composed  and  sang  holy  psalms  and  canticles.    The  stars 

\  of  heaven,  the  flowers  of  the  field,  the  songs  of  the  birds, 

tall  raised  his  heart  to  God,  and  so  he  lived   constantly  in 

i  God's  presence,  having  God  before  his  eyes  and  in  his  heart. 

j  By  his  holy  and  innocent  youth  this  humble,  though  highly 

Igifted  boy  was  prepared  to  be  God's  chosen  instrument. 

^O     The  pain  of  a  bad  conscience.   Woe  to  the  man  who  forsakes  God, 

and  who  is  too  proud  to  do  penance  for  his  sins,  and  return  contritely 

to  God!   For  such  an  one  cannot   be   happy  either  now  or  hereafter. 

We  see  this  in  the  case  of  the  God-forsaken  Saul.    Neither  his  high 

position,  nor   his   riches   could   make   him  happy,  because  he  had  no 

„r>eace  in  his  heart.   His  bad  conscience  gave  him  no  rest ;  it  drove  all 

•^cheerfulness  from  his  mind,  so  that  he  grew  discontented  and  melan- 


256  CHAPTER  LI. 

i  choly.  "There  is  no  peace  for  the  wicked"  (Is.  48,  22).  "Tribulation 
and  anguish  upon  every  soul  of  man  that  worketh  evil"  (Rom.  2,  9). 
Man  can  find  true  happiness  in  God  alone,  i.  e.  in  the  love  of  God 
and  in  doing  His  will. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  like  thinking  about  God  ?  Do  you  pray  and  work 
as  David  did?  Do  you  like  to  sing  sacred  canticles?  The 
Psalms  which  we  sing  at  Vespers  were  mostly  written  by 
David.  Assist  when  you  can  at  Vespers,  and  sing  the 
Psalms  devoutly,  as  David  used  to  sing  them,  in  honour  of 
jOGod.  Never  degrade  the  noble  gift  of  music  by  sin^in^ 
"  bad,  low  songs. 

Chapter  LI. 

DAVID  FIGHTS  WITH  AND  SLAYS  GOLIATH. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

}inpHE  Philistines  again  took  the  field  against  the  Israelites, 
JL  and  posted  themselves  on  one  mountain,  and  the  Israelites 
were  on  another.  And  behold,  there  was  in  the  camp  of  the 
Philistines  a  giant  named  Goliath.  He  was  not  only  taller 
than  any  other  man1,  but  his  strength  was  in  proportion 
to  his  size.  He  had  a  brazen  helmet  on  his  head,  and  was 
clothed  in  scary^armour  of  enormous  weight. 

,  He  had  greaves  of  brass  on  his  legs,  and  a  brazen  shield 
on  his  shoulder2,  and  the  staff3  of  his  spear  was  like  a 
weaver's  beam.  This  giant,  clad  in  armour  from  head  to 
foot,  came  daily  out,  morning  and  evening,  from  the  Philistine 
camp,  and  challenged  any  one  of  the  Israelites  to  meet  him 
in  single   combat,  saying:    "Give   me   a   man,  and   let  him 

X  fight  with  me  hand  to  hand.  If  he  be  able  to  kill  me,  we 
will  be  servants  to  you;  but  if  I  prevail  and  kill  him,  you 
shall  serve  us." 

This  went  on  for  forty  days,  and  there  was  no  one  found 
in  all  Israel  to  accept  the  challenge  of  Goliath.  Hence  Saul 
and  the  Israelites  were  in  great  terror  and  confusion,  because 
of  Goliath  and  of  his  proud  boasting  that  he  could  find  no 
man  in  Israel  to  fight  him. 


DAVID  FIGHTS  WITH  AND  SLAYS  GOLIATH.  257 

1  He  was  six  cubits  and  a  span,  or,  in  other  words,  nearly  ten 
foot  high.  —  2  You  can  see  a  helmet  in  the  picture,  page  204.  The 
greaves,  shield  and  coat  of  mail  are  shown  on  page  259.  This  last 
was  a  strong  suit  made  of  leather,  covered  with  brazen  scales, 
through  which  no  spear  or  arrow-point  could  pierce.  —  3  the  wooden 
shaft  of  the  spear,  to  which  the  point  was  fastened. 

Now  David,  after  his  three  eldest  brothers  had  gone  out 
with  Saul  to  battle,  had  returned  to  his  father's  house.  One 
day  his  father  told  him  to  take  bread  and  go  to  the  camp, 
and  see  how  it  fared  with  his  brothers.  Whilst  David  was 
conversing  with  the  people,  Goliath  came  out,  as  usual,  from  the 
Philistine  camp,  and  repeated  his  insulting  and  contemptuous 
challenge.  Full  of  surprise,  David  asked:  "What  shall 
%e  given  to  the  man  that  slayeth  the  Philistine,  who  defieth 
the  army  of  the  living  God  ?.'.**  Now,  when  Eliab,  his  eldest 
brother,  heard  that  David  was  asking  such  questions  of  the 
soldiers,  he  grew  angry,  and  said:  "Why  earnest  thou  hither? 
Why  didst  thou  leave  those  few  sheep  in  the  desert  ?  I  know 
thy  pride  and  that  thou  earnest  down  to  see  the  battle." 

(However,  these  words  were  repeated  to  Saul,  who  sent 
.for  David  and  said  to  him:  "Thou  art  not  able  to  withstand 
this  Philistine,  for  thou  art  but  a  boy,  and  he  is  a  warrior." 
But  David  said:  "Let  no  man  be  dismayed;  I,  thy  servant, 
will  go  and  fight  against  the  Philistine. 
^  "For  thy  servant  kept  his  father's  sheep,  and  there  came 
a  lion  and  a  bear  and  took  a  ram  out  of  the  midst  of  the 
flock.  And  I  pursued  after  them  and  struck  them ;  and  they 
rose  up  against  me,  and  I  caught  them  by  the  throat,  and 
I  strangled  and  killed  them.  I  will  go  now  and  take  away 
the  reproach  of  the  people.  The  Lord  Who  delivered  me 
out  of  the  paw  of  the  lion  and  the  bear,  will  deliver  me 
out  of  the  hand  of  this  Philistine." 

At  last  Saul  consented  and  said:  "Go,  and  the  Lord  be 
with  thee."  Saul  then  clothed  David  with  his  own  armour  5, 
and  put  a  helmet  of  brass  on  his  head,  and  armed  him  with 
a  coat  of  mail.  But  David,  unused  to  wear  armour,  could 
not,  move  freely  under  its  weight,  and  therefore  he  laid  it 
aside. 


258  CHAPTER  LI. 

Then  he  took  his  staff,  which  he  had  always  in  his  hands, 
and  chose  five  smooth  stones  6  from  the  brook  and  put  them 
in  the  shepherd's  scrip  which  he  had  with  him ;  and  taking 
a  sling  in  his  hand,  he  went  forth  to  meet  the  Philistine. 

4  He  is  called  the  living  God  in  contradistinction  to  the  gods 
of  the  heathen,  which  were  nothing  but  dead  idols  made  of  wood, 
brass  &c.  He  is  the  living  God,  because  He  has  life  in  Himself,  and 
is  the  Author  of  all  life.  —  5  his  coat  of  mail  &c.  —  6  They  had 
to  be  smooth,  so  as  to  slide  easily  from  the  sling. 

When  Goliath  drew  near  and  beheld  David  coming  on, 
he  despised  him  and  said:  "Am  I  a  dog  that  thou  comest 
to  me  with  a  staff?"  Then  cursing  David  by  his  gods,  he 
said:  "Come  to  me,  and  I  will  give  thy  flesh  to  the  birds 
of  the  air,  and  to  the  beasts  of  the  earth."  7  David  answered: 
"Thou  comest  to  me  with  a  sword,  and  with  a  spear,  and 
with  a  shield ;  but  I  come  to  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 

r  of  Hosts8,  Whom  thou  hast  defied9.    I  will  slay  thee  and 
take   away  thy  head  from  thee,  that  all   may  know  that 

I  there  is  a  God  in  Israel." 

Meanwhile,  the  Philistine  arose,  advanced  and  made  ready 
for  the  fight;  David,  on  his  part,  making  haste,  ran  up  to 
meet  the  giant.  While  running,  he  quickly  took  a  stone 
from  his  scrip,  laid  it  in  his  sling,  and  fetching  it  a  few 
times  about 10,  he  aimed  and  struck  Goliath  so  violently  in 
the  forehead,  that  he  reeled  and  fell  on  his  face  upon  the 
earth.  Then  David,  rushing  up,  and  taking  Goliath's  sword 
from  its  scabbard,  cut  off  his  head. 

The  Philistines,  seeing  that  their  champion  was  dead, 
were  seized  with  fear  and  fled.  But  the  Israelites,  following 
after,  slew  a  great  number  of  them,  and  took  possession  of 
their  camp. 

7  I  will  kill  you,  and  leave  your  body  to  be  eaten  by  the  birds 
and  beasts.  —  8  Literally,  David  meant  the  army  of  the  Israelites, 
fighting  against  the  idolaters  for  the  glory  of  God;  but  in  a  wider 
sense  his  words  meant  that  God  is  Lord  of  all  the  hosts  in  heaven 
and  on  earth.  —  9  Goliath,  by  mocking  the  Israelites,  and  treating 
them  as  if  God  were  powerless  to  help  them ,  was  really  defying 
God.  —  10  By  swinging  the  sling,  such  velocity  was  given  to  the 
stone  cast  by  it,  that   even    the   skull   of  the    giant  could   not  resist 


DAVID  FIGHTS  WITH  AND  SLAYS  GOLIATH. 


259 


it.  But  to  take  aim  well  and  sling  truly,  great  skill  and  practice 
are  required.  David  possessed  both,  and  God  now  gave  him  the  grace 
not  to  lose  courage  or  presence  of  mind,  without  which  he  could 
not  have  taken  a  cool  and  sure  aim. 

II.  Commentary. 

Pride.  Goliath  was  arrogant,  and  trusted  in  his  own 
strength  and  mighty  weapons.  He  boasted,  sought  the  single 
combat  for  his  own  glory,  and  scorned  the  people   of  God. 

.This  pride  was  the  cause  of  his  fall.  "  Pride  comes  before 
a  fall",  and  "Humiliation   followeth   the  proud,  and   glory 

Ashall  uphold  the  humble  of  spirit"  (Prov.  29,  23). 

Humility  and  confidence  in  God.  David  was  humble.  It 
was  no  thought  of  renown  which  impelled  him  to  fight  the 
giant,  but  only  zeal  for  God's  glory  and  the  good  of  his 
people.  He  trustedln  God's  help  and  not  in  his  own  powers 
or  skill,  and  went  forth  to  the  unequal  combat,  full  of  the 
confidence  that  God  would  overthrow  the  Philistine  by  his 
means,  and  would  thus  manifest  His  power  to  the  heathen. 

."The  Lord  Who  delivered  me  out  of  the  paw  of  the  lion 
and  out  of  the  paw  of  the  bear,  He  will  deliver  me  out  of 
the  hand  of  this  Philistine"  (1  Kings  17,  37).  God  rewarded 
the  humility  and  confidence  of  His  servant  by   giving   him 


260  CHAPTER  LII. 

a  splendid  victory  over  the  terrible  giant.  God  wished,  by 
this  victory  of  David,  to  draw  the  eyes  of  the  Israelites 
to  his  virtues,  and  to  awake  in  them  a  feeling  of  gratitude 
towards  him  who  was  to  be  their  future  king. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  boast?  Are  you  proud  of  your  fine  figure,  of 
your  strength,  or  of  your  understanding,  memory  &c  ?  Make 
a  resolution  to  subdue  promptly  all  such  thoughts  of  self- 
complacency. 

You,  too,  have  a  Goliath  to  overcome,  namely  your  besetting- 
sin.  Ask  yourself  which  is  your  besetting  sin,  whether  anger, 
envy,  pride,  sloth  &c.  Against  this  sin  you  must  fight,  not 
once,  but  every  day  of  your  life,  if  you  hope  to  overcome 
it.  Your  weapons  must  be  prayer  and  watchfulness.  Pray 
for  the  virtue  opposed  to  your  besetting  sin,  and  take  care 
to  subdue  the  first  movements  of  this  passion. 

Chapter  LII. 
FRIENDSHIP  OF  JONATHAN  AND  DAVID. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

HEN  David  returned  from  the  slaying  of  the  Philistine, 


w 


Saul  called  for  him  and  asked:  "Young  man,  of  what 
family  art  thou?"  Then  David  related  all  about  his  family  and 
about  himself.  Now  Jonathan,  the  eldest  son  of  Saul,  was 
standing  by,  and  listened  to  the  words  of  David ;  and  when 
David  had  made  an  end  of  speaking,  Jonathan  began  to  love 
him  as  his  own  soul.     There  was  a  custoni   for  friends   to 

"exchange  garments;  so  Jonathan  took  his  coat  and  gave 
it  to  David.  He  took  his  sword,  and  his  bow,  and  his  girdle 
and  gave  them  also  to  David. 

Now,  when  David  returned  home  with  Saul,  after  having 
slain  Goliath,  the  women  came  out  of  all  the  cities  of  Israel, 
with  flutes  and  cymbals1,  and   they   sang:    "Saul   slew  his 

thousands,  and  David  his  ten  thousands."  Hearing  this,  Saul 
was_jmgry,  and  ever  after  regarded  David  as  his  rival. 
Next  day  Saul   was  again  troubled  by    fche    evil    spirit,  and 


FRIENDSHIP  OF  JONATHAN  AND  DAVID.  261 

whilst  David  played  the  harp  before  him,  he  threw  a  spear 
at  David,  hoping  to  nail  him  to  the  wall. 

David,  however,  stepped  aside  and  avoided  the  blow. 
Some  time  after,  David  was  appointed  by  Saul  captain  over 
a  thousand  men.  He  was,  moreover,  promised  Michol,  the 
king's  daughter,  in  marriage,  if  he  killed  a  hundred  Philistines. 
By  this  proposal  Saul  hoped  to  get  rid  of  David,  thinking 
that  he  would  never  be  able  to  fulfil  the  conditions,  but 
that  he  would  be  slain  by  the  Philistines.  Saul,  however, 
was  disappointed,  for  David  slew  two  hundred  of  the  enemy^ 
"and  thereby  gained  the  affection  of  the  whole  people?*"  This 
unexpected  success  of  David  enraged  Saul  more  than  ever. 
1  On  page  270  you  can  see  such  cymbals,  or  plates  of  brass  which 

the  women  knocked  one  against  the  other. 

Blinded  by  passion,  he  ordered  Jonathan,  his  son,  to  kill 

David.  But  Jonathan,  knowing  David's  innocence  and  virtue, 

and  loving  him  exceedingly,  gave  warning  to  him 2  and  said  : 

/y'My  father  seeketh  to  kill  thee;  wherefore  look  to  thyself, 

and  abide  in  a  secret  place,  and  thou  shalt  be  hid."   David 

listened  to  his  advice,  and  remained  hidden  in   the   fields3. 

One  day,  however,  when  Saul  was   in   a   better   humour 

i than  usual,  Jonathan  said  to  him:  "Sin  not,  oh  king,  against 

thy  servant  David,  because  he  has  not  sinned  against  thee, 

and  his  works  are  very  good  towards  thee.   Why,  therefore, 

wilt  thou  sin  against  innocent  blood?" 

Saul  was  appeased  by  these  words  of  Jonathan,  and  swore 
that  David  should  not  be  slain.  And  Jonathan  brought 
David  again  into  his  father's  presence,  and  Saul  was  gracious 
to  him  as  he  had  been  before.  At  this  time,  however,  war 
was  renewed  against  the  Philistines,  and  David  went  out 
against  them,  and  defeated  them  with  great  slaughter. 

Then  the  evil  spirit  came  back  upon  Saul,  who  tried  to 
)ierce  David  with  his  spear  as  he  played  upon  the  harp; 
>ut  David  warded  off  the  blow  and  fled.  Jonathan,  however, 
/took  occasion  once  again  to  speak  to  his  father  in  behalf 
>f  David.  But  Saul  was  angry  and  blamed  his  son  for  his 
tffection  for  the  son  of  Isai,  who  was  supplanting  him  with 
^the  people. 


262  CHAPTER  LII. 

He  told  Jonathan   that  so  long  as  David  lived,  he  could 

have   no  hope   of  ascending   the   throne.     "Therefore,  now 

presently  send  and  fetch  him  to  me,  for  he  is   the   son   of 

death."    Jonathan  asked:  "Why  shall  he  die?     What  hath 

he  done?"   And  Saul,  being  enraged  at  Jonathan,  took  his 

spear  to   strike   him.     But   Jonathan    escaped    and   fled   to 

David's  hiding-place,  in  order  to  warn  him  against  returning 

Ao  the  court.     The   two  friends  then  embraced  each   other, 

\wept   together,  and  before   parting,  renewed   their  vow   of 

j  friendship  in  the  name  of  God. 

2  He  constantly  spoke  to  his  father  in  defence  of  his  friend,  and 
whenever  he  could,  warned  the  latter  of  his  danger.  —  3  David  had 
from  henceforth  to  live  as  a  fugitive  in  the  mountains,  hiding  in 
holes  and  caves,  for  nowhere  was  his  life  safe. 

II.  Commentary. 

Envy.    Saul  was  avowedly  the  tallest  man  in  Israel,  but 

lie  had  not  the  courage  to  face  Goliath,  because  he  had  no 

/confidence  in  God.     He   ought   to   have  been   all  the  more 

^grateful  to  David  for  freeing  him  and  all  Israel   from   this 

Jproud  and  overbearing  enemy.   But  because  the  people  praised 

David  more  than  they  praised  himself,  he  allowed  a  hateful 

envy  to  take  possession  of  his   heart.     From   this   time  he 

disliked  him,  and  was  suspicious  and  distrustful  of  the  noble 

minded  David.    See  how  ungrateful  and  unjust  envy  makes 

a  man! 

True  friendship.     David   and   Jonathan  were  knit  together   by   a 

real,  true,  noble  friendship.  Jonathan  loved  David  for  his  good  qualities, 

his  piety,  courage,  modesty  &c.     He  loved    him  "as  his  own  soul", 

though  he  knew  that  David,   and  not  he,    was   destined   to   succeed 

■Saul  as  king.     He  remained  true  to  his  friend  in  his  adversity,  and 

\did  everything  that  he  could  to  help  him.    David  responded  with  all 

Jhis  heart  to  the  love  of  the  king's  son.    When  Jonathan  died,  David 

tore  his  clothes  for  grief,  wept  bitterly  and  expressed  his  sorrow  in 

the  most  moving  words.   A  true  and  noble  friend  is  a  great  treasure ; 

.  ^therefore  Holy  Scripture  says :  "  Nothing  can  be  compared  to  a  faithful 

friend,  and  they  that  fear  the  Lord  shall  find  him"  (Ecclus.  6,  15.  16). 

True  friendship  can  only  exist  between  good  people.    He  who  is  not 

faithful  to  God,  and  does  not  love  and  fear  Him  will  only  be  faithful 

to  his  friend  as  long  as  he  hopes  to  gain  something  by  his  friendship. 

Friendship  and  intercourse  with  the  good   exercise  an  ennobling  and 


DAVID'S  NOBLE  CONDUCT  TOWARDS  SAUL.  263 

elevating  influence,  but  intercourse  with  the  wicked  is  a  great  source 
of  danger  both   to   faith    and  morals.     "Evil  communications  corrupt 
Agood  manners." 

III.  Application. 

You  should  be  friendly  with  all  your  schoolfellows,  but 
make  friends  of  the  good  only.  How  has  it  been  with  you 
hitherto?  Have  you  taken  pleasure  in  being  with  bad 
3bmrades?  Many  a  good  child  has  been  corrupted  and  led 
[nto  committing  grievous  sins  by  associating  and  making 
friends  with  bad  children.  Therefore,  form  friendships  with 
>nly  good  and  well-behaved  children,  and  avoid  anything 
like  intimacy  with  bad  children. 

Chapter  LIII. 
DAVID'S  NOBLE  CONDUCT  TOWARDS  SAUL. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 
AVID,  seeing  that  he  could  no  longer  live  in  safety  near 


D 


Saul,  fled  to  the  mountains  of  Juda.  Even  there  death 
threatened  him  on  every  side,  but  his  courage  never  forsook 
him.  He  consoled  himself  with  the  thought  that  he  who 
places  himself  under  the  protection  of  God,  is  in  safety 
everywhere,  and  has  nothing  to  fear.  His  trust  in  God  was 
rewarded. 

Now  the  men  of  Ziph  came  to  Saul  and  said:  "Behold, 
David  is  hid  in  the  hill  which  is  over  against  the  wilderness." 
Immediately  Saul  arose,  having  with  him  three  thousand 
chosen  men,  and  encamped  in  the  way  of  the  wilderness." 1 
As  soon  as  David  had  heard  that  Saul  had  come  after  him, 
he  sent  out  spies  to  see  where  the  king  had  pitched  his 
tents.  David,  on  learning  where  Saul  was,  arose  and  came 
secretly  to  the  camp  of  his  enemy. 

And  David  said  to  his  followers:  "Who  will  go  down 
with  me  into  the  camp  of  Saul?"  Abisai  answered:  "I  will 
go  with  thee."  So  David  and  Abisai  came  upon  the  tents/' 
by  night,  and  found  Saul  sleeping  on  his  couch,  and  his 
spear  fixed  in  the  ground  near  his  head.  Moreover  all  the 
soldiers  were   sleeping   about.     And  Abisai  said   to  David: 


264 


CHAPTER  LTIT. 


"Now,  then,  I  will  run  thy  enemy  through  with  my  spear, 
and  there  shall  be  no  need  of  a  second  time."  But  David 
answered:  "Kill  him  not;  for  who  shall  put  forth  his  hand 
against  the  Lord's  anointed,  and  remain  guiltless  ? 2  But 
now,  take  the  spear  which  is  at  his  head,  and  the  cup  of 
water3  and  let  us  go." 

So  they  took  the  spear  and  the  cup  of  water,  and  went 
away.  And  no  man  knew  it,  or  saw  it,  or  awaked;  for  a 
deep  sleep  from  the  Lord  was  fallen  upon  them.  They  both 
went  on  till  they  came  to  the  other  side,  and  stood  on  a 
hill  afar  off.  Then  David  called  aloud  to  Abner,  the  captain 
of  Saul's  army  and  said:  "Wilt  thou  not  answer,  Abner? 
Art  not  thou  a  man?     Why,  then,  hast  thou  not  kept  the 

lord  thy  king?  And 
now  where  is  the 
king's  spear,  and  the 
cup  of  water  which 
was  at  his  head?" 
At  these  words 
Saul  awoke  from  his 
sleep  and  cried  out : 
"Is  this  thy  voice, 
my  son  David  ?  "  And 
David  answered : "  It 
is  my  voice,  my  lord 
the  king.  Wherefore  doth  my  lord  persecute  his  servant? 
What  have  I  done?"  Saul,  feeling  his  own  injustice,  ex- 
claimed: "I  have  sinned;  return,  my  son  David,  for  I  will 
no  more  do  thee  harm,  because  my  life  has  been  precious 
in  thy  eyes  this  day.  Blessed  art  thou,  my  son  David." 
Then  they  parted  in  peace. 

1  He  was  on  his  track  and  was  seeking  for  him  everywhere.  — 
2  He  meant  that  nobody  could  kill  the  king,  the  anointed  of  the 
Lord,  without  committing  a  grievous  sin.  —  s  David  took  them  with 
him,  so  as  to  prove  to  the  king  that  he  had  been  inside  his  tent, 
and  could  have  killed  him,  had  he  wished  to  do  so.  When  Saul  had 
acknowledged  his  injustice,  David  sent  him  back  the  spear  and  cup. 


A  short  time  after  this  there  was  a  battle  fought  between 


DAVID'S  NOBLE  CONDUCT  TOWARDS  SAUL.  265 

the  Israelites  and  the  Philistines  on  Mount  Gelboe  4.  A  great 
number  of  the  Israelites  were  slain,  and  amongst  them  the 
three  sons  of  Saul.  At  last  the  whole  weight  of  the  fight 
turned  upon  Saul;  the  archers  overtook  him  and  grievously 
wounded  him. 

Seeing  himself  surrounded  by  the  enemy  who  wished  to 
take  him  alive,  he  drew  his  sword  and  fell  upon  it 5.  David 
was  thus  delivered  from  his  mortal  enemy ;  yet  so  far  from 
rejoicing  at  his  death,  when  he  heard  the  sad  news  he  wept, 
and  forgetting  all  the  injuries  he  had  received,  he  remembered 
only  the  good  qualities  of  the  king. 

Yea,  filled  with  sorrow,  he  rent  his  garments  and  wept, 
and  cursed  the  mountain  of  Gelboe  6  whereon  the  king  and 
his  three  sons  had  met  their  death.  Then  he  lamented  and 
made  a  dirge  over  Saul  and  Jonathan:  "How  are  the  valiant 
fallen!  Tell  it  not  in  Geth;  publish  it  not  in  the  streets 
of  Ascalon.  They  were  swifter  than  eagles,  stronger  than 
lions.  I  grieve  for  thee,  my  brother  Jonathan,  exceeding 
amiable.  As  the  mother  loveth  her  only  son,  so  I  did  love 
thee."  To  forgive  our  enemies  is  a  duty,  and  those  that 
do  not  forgive  cannot  be  saved.  Yet  we  must  admire  the 
virtue  of  David,  who  not  only  forgave,  but  loved  his  enemy 
tenderly. 

4  The  mountain  in  which  the  brook  Kison  takes  its  rise.  It  is 
south  of  Nairn  (see  map).  —  5  so  that  it  pierced  his  body,  and  he 
died  in  a  few  moments.  The  Philistines  found  his  corpse,  and  cut 
off  his  head,  which  they  sent,  with  his  weapons,  to  their  country. 
The  head  of  the  king  was  set  up  by  his  enemies  as  a  token  of  their 
victory.  Thus  humiliating  was  the  end  of  Saul!  —  6  "Ye  mountains 
of  Gelboe",  said  he,  "let  neither  dew  nor  rain  come  upon  you, 
neither  be  they  fields  of  first  fruits."  Their  infertility  was  a  token 
of  mourning. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Justice  of  God.  God  protected  the  innocent  David 
and  enabled  him  to  escape  from  the  snares  of  the  blood- 
thirsty king.  But  He  humbled  the  sin-laden  Saul  by  subjecting 
him  to  a  humiliating  defeat  and  a  premature  and  dishonour- 
able death. 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  12 


266  CHAPTER  LIII. 

The  Wisdom  of  God  decreed  that  many  troubles  should 
overtake  David,  in  order  that  he  might  be  exercised  in  virtue, 
and  prepared  for  his  high  position.  By  the  persecutions  and 
privations  to  which  he  was  subjected,  David  was  confirmed 
in  humility  and  confidence  in  God,  and  experienced  for  himself 
how  much  harm  is  caused  by  evil  doing.  He  saw  from 
which  faults  a  ruler  should  be  free,  and  was  thus  fitted  for 
the  high  dignity  for  which  God  destined  him. 

The  Fifth  Commandment.  The  story  we  have  just  heard 
is  well  suited  to  explain  and  impress  upon  us  the  precepts 
taught  by  the  fifth  Commandment.  David  observed  this 
Commandment  most  conscientiously  when  he  would  not  allow 
his  mortal  enemy,  Saul,  to  be  killed,  although  he  was  in 
his  power.  The  armour-bearer,  Abisai,  on  the  other  hand, 
did  sin  against  the  fifth  Commandment,  because  he  had  the 
desire  to  murder  Saul  in  his  sleep,  and  would  have  carried 
out  his  wicked  project  had  David  given  his  consent.  By 
this  sinful  intention  Abisai  also  sinned  against  the  fourth 
Commandment,  for  Saul,  the  anointed  of  the  Lord,  was  the 
representative  of  God.  But  it  was  Saul  who  sinned  most 
grievously  against  the  fifth  Commandment.  He  allowed  his 
anger  against  David  to  grow  till  it  turned  to  hatred,  and 
from  this  to  blood-thirstiness,  which  passion  Saul  cherished 
in  his  heart  for  a  long  time,  and  tried  to  satisfy  by  his 
untiring  persecution  of  David.  Each  fresh  desire  to  get  rid 
of  David,  and  each  pursuit  of  him  for  that  object  was  a 
grievous  sin. 

Suicide  was  Saul's  crowning  sin.  He  saw  that  the  enemy 
was  pressing  on  him  in  overwhelming  numbers,  and  that 
he  could  not  escape;  therefore,  so  as  not  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  Philistines,  he  killed  himself.  This  was  a  terrible 
sin,  for  on  no  account  may  a  man  take  away  his  own  life, 
as  he  did  not  give  it  to  himself.  God  is  Lord  of  life  and 
death,  and  he  who  kills  himself  robs  the  divine  Majesty  of 
His  rights.  But,  it  might  be  argued,  Saul  could  not,  any- 
how, have  had  long  to  live,  for,  most  likely,  the  Philistines 
would  have  killed  him  on  the  field  of  battle.  True,  but  if 
Saul  had,  by  God's  permission,  been  killed  by  his  enemies, 


DAVID'S  NOBLE  CONDUCT  TOWARDS  SAUL.  267 

he  would  have  died  the  death  of  a  hero,  in  defence  of  his 
religion,  his  people  and  his  country.  Very  likely,  however, 
the  Philistines  would  not  have  killed  him  at  once,  but  would 
have  taken  him  prisoner,  and  would,  later,  have  put  him 
to  death.  Saul  would,  in  this  way,  have  had  to  endure 
humiliations  and  tortures,  but  he  would  have  had  time  to 
repent  of  his  many  sins,  and  if  he  offered  his  sufferings  to 
God  in  the  spirit  of  true  penance,  his  soul  would  have  been 
saved,  and  he  would  have  died  the  death  of  a  martyr  for 
the  faith  in  the  one  true  God.  By  his  suicide  he  not  only 
killed  his  body,  but  also  his  soul,  for  his  last  act  on  earth 
was  one  of  mortal  sin,  and  the  very  nature  of  the  act  made 
repentance  impossible.  Every  voluntary  suicide  is  a  suicide 
of  the  soul,  which  can  in  no  way  be  expiated;  and  it  is  in 
this  that  lies  the  horror  of  this  sin.  Cowardice,  moreover, 
lies  at  the  root  of  every  suicide,  as  we  have  seen  was  the 
case  with  Saul.  He  shrank  from  humiliation  and  degradation, 
and,  to  avoid  them,  put  an  end  to  his  life.  The  suicide  is 
too  cowardly  to  endure  such  temporal  evils  as  poverty, 
sickness,  or  shame,  and,  therefore,  puts  an  end  to  his  life, 
never  considering  that  he  thereby  subjects  himself  to  the 
everlasting  torments  of  hell.  Suicide  is  a  sort  of  insanity, 
for  he  who  commits  it  exposes  himself  to  the  greatest  of 
all  evils,  eternal  damnation,  to  avoid  a  mere  passing  evil. 
Humility,  and  love  of  our  enemies.  There  are  many  beautiful 
virtues  to  admire  in  David.  He  remained  humble  in  spite 
of  the  adulation  of  the  world;  he  did  not  glory  in  being 
chosen  by  God  to  be  king;  he  bore  no  grudge  in  his  heart 
against  the  unjust,  ungrateful  Saul ;  he  did  not  rise  up  against 
him,  but  honoured  him  as  "his  lord  and  king",  called  himself 
his  servant,  forgave  him  from  his  heart,  and  spared  his  life 
when  the  opportunity  of  revenge  was  given  him.  David 
had  a  most  noble  and  magnanimous  heart ;  he  did  not  return 
evil  for  evil,  but  really  loved  his  mortal  enemy,  and  bitterly 
bewailed  his  sad  end.  Thus  David  gives  us  a  splendid 
example  of  love  of  our  enemies,  which  teaches  us  that  we 
should  never  take  vengeance  on  them.  St.  Paul  writes 
(Rom,  12,  19):  "Do  not  revenge  yourselves,  but  give  place 

12* 


268  CHAPTER  LIIL 

unto  wrath  (i.  e.  leave  vengeance  to  God),  for  it  is  written, 
'Revenge  to  me,  I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord'."  By  this 
noble  virtue  of  love  of  his  enemy  David  won  a  victory  over 
himself  (over  anger  and  the  desire  of  revenge),  which  was 
far  greater  and  more  worthy  of  renown  than  his  victory 
over  Goliath.  St.  Chrysostom  says  of  him:  "Women  did 
not  come  to  meet  him,  singing  the  praises  of  this  victory, 
but  the  choirs  of  angels,  full  of  admiration,  sang  the  praises 
of  his  magnanimity."  Learn,  then,  how  beautiful  and  praise- 
worthy it  is  to  overcome  yourself  and  forgive  those  who 
have  injured  you. 

Love  until  death.  David  loved  Saul  and  Jonathan  till  they 
died,  and  bitterly  mourned  their  death.  True  love  lasts 
beyond  the  grave,  and  we  should  preserve  our  love  for  those 
dear  unto  us  after  they  are  dead.  You  should  pray  for  the 
souls  of  your  departed  parents,  friends  and  relations. 

Resistance  of  grace.  Learn  from  the  case  of  Saul  how  low  a  man 
can  fall  when  he  forsakes  God,  resists  grace,  and  gives  himself  over 
to  his  passions.  If  you  give  the  devil  one  finger,  he  will  want  to 
have  your  whole  hand,  and  your  whole  self.  Saul  was  originally 
humble,  and  God  was  with  him,  and  gave  him  many  graces;  but 
his  victories  made  him  proud  and  disobedient  to  God.  His  pride 
could  not  endure  that  David  should  be  so  highly  honoured  and  esteemed, 
and,  therefore,  he  was  envious  and  jealous  of  David.  Envy  em- 
bittered his  life,  and  made  him  ungrateful  towards  David,  and  this 
led  further  to  hatred  of  him  and  desire  for  his  death.  Thus  Saul 
became  more  and  more  unworthy  of  the  divine  assistance.  Quite 
forsaken  by  God,  he  was  defeated  by  the  Philistines  in  spite  of  his 
valour,  and  ended  his  life  by  suicide.  What  a  sad  end  for  a  man 
chosen  out  by  God  from  among  all  men! 

III.  Application. 

What  do  you  do  when  any  one  injures  you  by  word  or 
deed  ?  Do  you  cherish  a  grudge  against  him  in  your  heart  ? 
Do  you  wish  evil  to  any  of  your  comrades  ?  Do  you  speak 
evil  of  him  to  others?    "Forgive  and  forget!" 


DAVID'S  PIETY.— HIS  ZEAL  FOR  GOD'S  GLORY.  269 

THE  GREATNESS  OF  THE  PEOPLE  OF  ISRAEL 

FROM  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  REIGN 

OF  DAVID  TO  THAT  OF  ROBOAM. 

(From  the  year  1055  to  975  B.  C.) 


Chapter  LIV. 
DAVID'S  PIETY.— HIS  ZEAL  FOR  GOD'S  GLORY. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  the  death  of  Saul,  David  was  chosen  king.  He 
established  his  court  in  Jerusalem1  where  he  became 
renowned  for  his  great  valour.  He  defeated  the  Philistines 
and  many  other  nations  2.  His  reign  was  glorious,  because  he 
governed  his  people  with  justice  and  clemency.  As  he  feared 
God,  he  never  imposed  on  his  people  any  but  just  and 
righteous  laws3. 

The  counsellors  whom  he  chose  to  aid  him  in  the  govern- 
ment of  his  kingdom  were  not  flatterers,  but  men  of  wis- 
dom and  virtue,  whose  advice  was  always  founded  on  reason 
and  justice.  The  promotion  of  God's  glory  was  the  primary 
object  of  all  their  plans  and  views. 

1  This,  the  House  of  peace,  is  the  Salem  of  earlier  times,  of  which, 
in  the  days  of  Abraham,  Melchisedech  was  king.  The  town  was 
divided  into  two  parts,  the  upper  town  and  the  lower  town.  The 
lower  town  had  been  for  some  time  in  the  possession  of  the  Israelites, 
but  the  upper  town,  which  was  built  on  Mount  Sion,  still  belonged 
to  the  heathen  Jebusites,  who  had  fortified  it  so  strongly  that  hitherto 
no  one  had  been  able  to  conquer  it.  David  now  took  possession  of 
it,  and  fortified  it  even  more  strongly  than  it  had  been.  He  built 
himself  a  palace  there,  and  called  it  the  City  of  David.  From  hence- 
forward Jerusalem  was  the  capital  of  the  kingdom.  —  2  such  as  the 
Moabites,  Syrians  etc.  David  extended  his  kingdom  on  the  west  as 
far  as  the  Mediterranean ,  on  the  south  to  the  Red  Sea ,  on  the  east 
to  the  deserts  of  Arabia  and  Syria,  and  on  the  north  to  the  Euphrates. 
—  3  He  settled  the  principal  matters  of  dispute  himself.  Besides 
this,  he  appointed  six  thousand  Levites  to  be  judges. 

Near  Jerusalem  was  Mount  Sion  on  which  David  erected 
a  splendid  tabernacle  for  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant 4.  When 
the  tabernacle  was  completed,  he  caused  the  Ark  to  be  carried 
in  triumph  to  Mount  Sion.    The  procession  was  very  grand, 


270 


CHAPTER  LIV. 


comprising  all  the  princes  of  Israel5  in  purple  robes,  the 
priests  in  their  rich  vestments,  and  thirty  thousand  armed 
men.  The  sound  of  all  manner  of  musical  instruments 6 
made  the  procession  still  more  imposing.  David  himself 
went  before  the  Ark  playing  on  the  harp  and  singing:  "Lord, 
who  shall  dwell  in  Thy  tabernacle,  and  who  shall  rest  in 
Thy  holy  hill?" 

At  every  few  paces  taken  by  the  Levites  who  carried 
the  Ark,  an  ox  and  a  ram  were  sacrificed  to  the  Lord.  And 
when  the  Ark  had  been  placed  in  its  destined  position,  a 
great  number  of  victims  were  offered.  David  then  divided 
the  priests  into  several  classes,  who  were  in  turn  to  officiate 
in  the  divine  worship.  He  established  a  like  order  amongst 
the  Levites,  four  thousand  of  whom  were  chosen  to  sing 
the  praises  of  the  Most  High. 

4  The  new  tabernacle  was  made  on  the  model  of  the  old  one  con- 
structed under  the  direction  of  Moses,  and  which  was  worn  out  on 
account  of  its  great  age.  —  5  the  ancients  of  the  tribes  and  the 
leaders  of  the  army.  —  6  See  picture.  Some  blew  trumpets,  others 
beat   little   drums   with   their   hands,  others   clashed   cymbals,    some 


DAVID'S  PIETY.— HIS  ZEAL  FOR  GOD'S  GLORY.  271 

played  on  metal  triangles,  while  others  played  on  stringed  instruments, 
such  as  harps  and  zitherns. 

II.  Commentary. 

IJ  Religion,  the  foundation  of  all  government.  David  was, 
therefore,  a  wise  as  well  as  a  holy  ruler.  He  knew  that  a 
nation  cannot  be  happy  and  contented,  nor  rights  and  laws 
be  respected,  unless  religion  be  observed,  and  God  feared. 
Hence,  as  far  as  lay  in  his  power,  he  furthered  religion.  He 
arranged  the  solemn  services  of  God,  and  he  kindled  the 
hearts  of  the  people  and  awakened  their  religious  sense  by 
his  sacred  music  and  psalms.  Above  all,  he  himself  gave 
them  a  holy  example  of  piety  and  reverence.  He  did  not 
shrink  from  openly  confessing  his  faith ;  he  publicly  humbled 
himself  before  God  and  danced  in  front  of  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant,  singing  and  playing  on  the  harp. — In  reward  for 
David's  care  and  zeal  for  His  glory,  God  gave  him  the 
victory  over  all  his  enemies,  increased  his  kingdom,  and 
promised  him  that  the  Redeemer  should  be  born  of  his  race, 
and  should  found  and  possess  an  everlasting  kingdom. 

The  First  Commandment.  David  was  a  shining  example 
to  high  and  low  by  his  zeal  for  God's  glory.  His  heart 
was  holy,  he  had  a  living  faith,  firm  confidence  in  God,  an 
interior  love  for  Him,  and  he  expressed  all  these  holy 
dispositions  in  his  wonderful  Psalms.  By  these  Psalms  (some 
of  which  are  sung  at  Vespers)  he  not  only  edified  the 
Israelites  of  his  own  time,  but  he  has  edified  all  the  faith- 
ful for  3000  years,  moving  them  to  worship  God. 

Religious  Processions,  which  the  Church  has  instituted,  give  us  an 
opportunity  of  outwardly  confessing  our  faith  and  of  honouring  God. 
In  the  procession  formed  by  David,  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  held 
most  sacred  by  the  Israelites,  was  carried.  We  have  far  more  holy 
processions,  in  which  the  Lawgiver  of  the  New  Testament,  Jesus 
Christ  Himself,  present  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  is  carried,  for  our 
veneration  and  adoration. 

Joy  in  the  House  of  God.  David  rejoiced  and  exulted  that  now 
the  Ark  would  be  close  to  his  dwelling  on  Mount  Sion,  and  that  he 
Avould  be  able  to  assist  at  the  sacrifices.  How  much  more  ought  we 
to  rejoice  and  thank  God  that  in  our  midst  are  real  houses  of  God, 
where  we  can  visit  our  Divine  Lord,  and  assist  at  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
of  the  Mass. 


272  CHAPTER  LV. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  like  saying  your  prayers?  Do  you  take  pleasure 
in  the  services  of  God?  How  do  you  behave  in  Church, 
and  during  processions?  Do  you  give  a  good  example  to 
others,  or  do  you  disturb  them  in  their  devotions? 

Chapter  LV. 
THE  PROPHECIES  OF  DAVID. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 
AVID,   as  he  had   done  when  only  a  simple  shepherd- 


D 


boy,  composed  Psalms  and  Canticles  in  honour  of  the 
Most  High1,  and  conducted  himself  in  all  things  according 
to  the  holy  will  of  God.  Wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  him, 
and  not  only  favoured  all  his  undertakings,  but  promised 
him  that  one  of  his  descendants  should  rule  the  whole  world, 
and  sit  upon  a  throne  more  lasting  than  the  heavens. 

He  furthermore  endowed  him  with  the  gift  of  prophecy. 
He  expresses  in  lofty  and  sublime  language  the  eternal 
relationship  existing  between  the  Father  and  the  Son:  "Thou 
art  my  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  Thee."  He  foreshadows 
the  boundless  dominion  which  was  to  be  the  inheritance  of  the 
Redeemer,  and  the  peaceful  character  of  his  reign.  "I  will 
give  Thee  the  gentiles  for  Thy  inheritance,  and  the  utmost 
parts  of  the  earth  for  Thy  possession.  In  His  days  shall 
justice  spring  up,  and  the  abundance  of  peace."  2 

He  sees,  in  his  prophetic  visions,  the  Ethiopians  falling 
down  before  the  great  Ruler,  the  Prince  of  Peace,  and  be- 
holds His  enemies  prostrate  at  His  feet.  He  sees  the  kings 
of  Tharsis  and  of  the  Islands  offering  Him  presents;  the 
kings  of  the  Arabians  and  of  Saba  bringing  Him  gifts. 

1  These  were  written  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Who 
even  revealed  to  the  Royal  Prophet  the  future  of  the  kingdom  of 
God.  There  are,  in  all,  one  hundred  and  fifty  Psalms,  which  form 
one  of  the  books  of  Holy  Scripture.  Most  of  the  Psalms  are  songs 
of  praise;  some  are  petitions;  and  seven  are  called  the  penitential 
Psalms.  —  2  i.  e.  virtue  and  holiness  will  flourish  and,  in  consequence, 
men  will  live  in  perfect  peace  both  with  God  and  with  their  neigh- 
bours.    The  Psalmist  goes  on  to  say:  "And  He  shall    rule    from  sea 


THE  PROPHECIES  OF  DAVID.  273 

to  sea.     And  all  the  kings  of  the  earth  shall  adore  Him,  all  nations 
shall  serve  Him." 

He  foretells  the  future  crucifixion,  with  all  the  sorrow- 
ful scenes  and  circumstances 3.  "  They  have  pierced  my  hands 
and  my  feet,  they  have  numbered  all  my  bones."  The  gall 
and  vinegar  that  were  presented  to  the  Divine  Victim  suffering 
and  dying  on  the  Cross;  the  lance  that  pierced  His  most 
Sacred  Heart ;  the  nails  that  held  Him  fast  to  the  Cross ;  all 
these  are  mentioned  by  David  in  his  Psalms4. 

3  The  Divine  Redeemer  spoke  to  the  spirit  of  David,  and  it  was 
as  if  the  Psalmist  heard  him  say  these  and  the  other  words.  —  4  "I 
am  a  worm  and  no  man  (i.  e.  down-trodden  and  despised  like  a 
worm)",  says  our  Saviour  through  the  mouth  of  David,  "the  reproach 
of  men  and  the  outcast  of  the  people.  All  they  that  saw  me  have 
laughed  me  to  scorn,  they  have  spoken  with  the  lips  and  wagged 
their  heads  (i»  token  of  their  scorn).  They  have  pierced  my  hands 
and  my  feet.  They  parted  my  garments  among  them,  and  upon  my 
vesture  they  cast  lots." 

Death  overcome,  the  grave  robbed  of  its  prey  5,  the  earth- 
quake that  rent  the  rocks  of  Calvary,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Resurrection,  were  all  and  each  familiar  to  the  mind  of  the 
royal  prophet. 

He  sees  in  the  distant  future  the  brightness  of  the  As- 
cension. He  calls  upon  the  eternal  gates  to  be  lifted  up, 
that  the  triumphant  Conqueror  of  sin  and  death  may  take 
possession  of  His  everlasting  throne  in  heaven 6.  David,  the 
progenitor,  or  forefather  of  Jesus  Christ7,  Who  is  Himself 
called  the  Son  of  David,  was  a  figure  of  the  Redeemer  by 
the  place  of  his  birth,  Bethlehem,  by  the  obscurity  and 
lowliness  of  his  early  years,  by  the  victories  he  obtained 
over  the  enemies  of  the  people  of  God,  and  also  by  his 
twofold  character  of  king  and  prophet. 

6  "My  flesh  also  shall  rest  in  hope  (in  the  grave);  because  Thou 
wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  hell  (i.  e.  in  Limbo) ,  nor  wilt  Thou  give 
Thy  Holy  One  (He  who  is  anointed  by  Thee)  to  see  corruption  (to 
experience  it  in  His  own  body)."  —  6  "The  Lord  said  to  my  Lord 
(to  David's  Lord,  the  Messias) :  'Sit  thou  at  my  right  hand  until  I 
make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool  (till  all  thine  enemies  are  over- 
thrown).' The  Lord  hath  sworn  and  He  will  not  repent:  'Thou  art 
a  priest  for  ever   according   to   the  order   of  Melchisedech  (who  was 

12** 


274  CHAPTER  LV. 

both  priest  and  king,  and  offered  an  unbloody  sacrifice  of  bread  and 
wine)'."  —  7  God  said  to  David:  "I  will  raise  up  thy  seed  after  thee, 
and  I  will  establish  the  throne  of  His  kingdom  for  ever  (to  last  for  all 
eternity).   I  will  be  to  Him  a  Father,  and  He  shall  be  to  me  a  Son." 

II.   Commentary. 

The  eighth  promise  of  the  Messias.  David  lived  more  than 
a  thousand  years  before  our  Lord's  birth.  (He  reigned  from 
1055  to  1015  B.  C.)  But  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  Whom  a 
thousand  years  are  but  as  one  day,  inspired  his  spirit  and 
enabled  him  to  look  forward  over  centuries,  and  contemplate 
the  sufferings  and  glory  of  the  Redeemer. 

1.  The  prophecies  about  our  Lord's  Sufferings  have  been 
very  literally  fulfilled  (see  Chapters  LXXIII  and  LXXIV, 
New  Test.).  It  amazes  us  that  the  prophet,  writing  1000  years 
before  our  Lord  suffered,  should  have  described  such  details 
as  the  piercing  of  His  Hands  and  Feet,  the  division  of  His 
garments,  the  casting  lots  for  the  seamless  robe,  the  scoffing 
and  wagging  of  the  head  on  the  part  of  the  by-standers ! 
This  foretelling  of  future  events  was  only  possible  by  means 
of  divine  revelation. 

2.  About  the  Resurrection,  David  prophesied  that  our  Lord's 
soul  would  descend  to  Limbo,  but  would  not  stay  there ;  and 
that  His  body  would  rest  in  the  grave,  but  would  not  know 
corruption  ("He  descended  into  hell;  the  third  day  He  rose 
again  from  the  dead"). 

3.  Alluding  to  6ur  Lord's  glory  in  heaven,  and  His  king- 
dom ,  the  Psalmist  says  that  He  will  sit  at  the  right  hand 
of  God  ("He  ascended  into  heaven,  sitteth  at  the  right 
hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty"). 

His  enemies  will  be  overcome:  the  doctrines  of  Christianity 
have  overcome  paganism. 

He  will  remain  for  ever  a  King  and  Priest,  offering  an 
unbloody  sacrifice:  Jesus  Christ  is  King  of  that  kingdom 
which  He  founded,  and  He  offers  Himself  in  an  unbloody 
manner  in  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 

His  reign  will  bring  justice  and  peace:  Jesus  Christ  has 
justified  us  and  reconciled  us  to  God  by  the  grace  which  He  has 
won  for  us ;  at  His  birth  the  angels  proclaimed  peace  to  men. 


REVOLT  AND  PUNISHMENT  OF  ABSALOM.  275 

He  will  rule  over  the  whole  earth:  Jesus  Christ's  kingdom, 
i.  e.  His  Church,  is  spread  over  the  whole  world,  and  is 
ever  being  spread  further  and  further. 

Finally  the  Psalmist  says  that  the  Redeemer  will  he  of 
the  seed  of  David,  and  that  He  will  be  likewise  the  Son 
of  God,  and  will  rule  for  ever:  therefore  David  calls  Him 
his  Lord.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  from  all  eternity, 
and  in  time  He  took  our  human  nature  on  Him.  According 
to  His  human  nature,  He  was  descended  from  David,  for 
His  holy  Mother  was  of  the  race  of  David.  (Compare  what  the 
Angel  Gabriel  said  at  the  Annunciation.  Chapt.  II,  New  Test.). 

III.  Application. 

David's  example  teaches  us  to  worship  God  from  our  hearts; 
to  assist  at  the  services  of  God  with  holy  joy,  and,  accord- 
ing to  our  capabilities,  to  work  for  their  adornment  by 
singing  &c.  &c. 

Chapter  LYI. 

REVOLT  AND  PUNISHMENT  OF  ABSALOM. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

EVEN  David  was  not  sufficiently  on  his  guard  against 
temptations.  He  unhappily  fell  into  two  grievous  sins. 
He  took  to  himself  Bethsabee,  the  wife  of  Urias1,  one  of 
his  captains,  and  in  order  to  conceal  his  sin  he  caused  Urias 
to  be  slain  by  exposing  him  for  that  purpose  in  the  front 
of  the  battle.  The  Lord  sent  the  prophet  Nathan2  to  re- 
proach David  with  his  double  crime 3.  David  full  of  contrition, 
confessed  his  fault  and  asked  pardon  of  the  Lord.  He  then 
composed  the  seven  penitential  psalms,  which  ever  since  have 
been  the  consolation  of  all  truly  penitent  sinners. 

The  Lord,  seeing  the  sorrow  of  David,  ordered  Nathan  to 
tell  him  that  his  sin  was  forgiven,  but  that,  nevertheless, 
he  must  undergo  many  temporal  punishments  4,  and  that  the 
child  that  was  about  to  be  born  to  him  should  die.  David, 
humbling  himself  before  God,  willingly  accepted  this  and  many 
other  punishments  inflicted  upon  him,  and  added,  on  his  own 
part,  the  most  severe  penance  in  expiation  of  his  sins. 


276  CHAPTER  LVI. 

1  This  valiant  captain  in  the  army  was  very  devoted  to  the  king's 
service.  —  2  a  holy  man,  inspired  by  God.  —  3  Nathan  recalled  to 
the  king's  mind  all  the  benefits  which  God  had  bestowed  upon  him, 
in  order  to  lead  him  to  perceive  and  confess  his  shameful  ingratitude 
towards  God.  —  4  chiefly  at  the  hands  of  his  own  children. 

f  The  most  terrible  chastisement  inflicted  on  David  was  the 
\  ingratitude  of  his  son  Absalom.  Now  Absalom  was  endowed 
j  with  rare  beauty  of  person,  so  that  from  the  top  of  his  head 
\to  the  sole  of  his  foot  there  was  no  blemish  in  him 5.  His 
jhair  was  long  and  very  beautiful.  And  David  gave  Absalom 
/a  princely  retinue  of  chariots  and  horsemen,  and  a  guard 
u>f  young  men  to  accompany  him  everywhere. 

Absalom  was  wont  to  rise  early  in  the  morning  and  stand 
at  the  gate  of  the  palace,  and  when  any  man  presented 
himself  to  ask  justice  of  the  king,  he  kindly  inquired  what 
complaint  he  had  to  make,  and  on  hearing  it  always  replied : 
"Thy  words  seem  good  and  just  to  me;  but  there  is  no  one 
appointed  by  the  king  to  hear  thy  cause."  In  this  manner 
he  made  friends  for  himself  among  the  people  by  wrong- 
fully blaming  his  father. 

Sometimes  he  would  exclaim  in  the  hearing  of  these  people: 
"  0  that  they  would  make  me  judge  over  the  land,  that  all 
who  have  business  might  come  to  me,  that  I  might  do  them 
justice!"  Moreover  when  any  man  came  to  salute  him,  he 
put  forth  his  hand,  and  took  him  and  kissed  him.  Thus  he 
enticed  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel 6. 

When  he  thought  he  had  gained  over  all  the  men  of  Israel 
to  his  side,  he  asked  his  father  to  let  him  go  to  Hebron  in 
fulfilment  of  a  vow.  David,  suspecting  no  evil,  allowed  his 
son  to  depart.  And  when  Absalom  had  reached  Hebron,  he 
sent  messengers  to  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  telling  them  that 
when  they  heard  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  they  should  say: 
"Absalom  reigneth  in  Hebron."  And  it  came  to  pass  that 
many  of  the  people,  not  knowing  his  treachery,  followed 
Absalom 7. 

When  David  heard  of  Absalom's  revolt,  he  determined  to 
leave  the  city,  lest  the  citizens  should  suffer  on  his  account. 
And  having  left  the  city   with  his  attendants ,   he   came  to 


REVOLT  AND  PUNISHMENT  OF  ABSALOM.  277 

the  brook  Cedron 8,  his  feet  bare,  and  his  head  veiled.  And 
crossing  the  brook,  he  came  to  Mount  Olivet,  where  he 
wept  for  the  guilt  of  his  unnatural  son,  and  for  his  own 
sins.  And  on  the  side  of  Mount  Olivet  he  was  met  by  a 
man  named  Semei,  of  the  family  of  Saul,  who  threw  stones 
and  earth  at  David,  and  cursed  him:  "Come  out,  come  out, 
thou  man  of  blood."  Abisai,  full  of  wrath,  cried  out:  "Why 
should  this  dead  dog  curse  my  lord  the  king?  I  will  go 
and  cut  off  his  head."  But  David  answered:  "Behold,  my 
own  son  seeketh  my  life ;  how  much  more  one  of  the  house 
of  Saul !  Perhaps  the  Lord  may  look  upon  my  affliction  and 
render  me  good  for  the  cursing  of  this  day."  He  saw  the 
hand  of  God  in  this  new  trial. 

5  That  is  to  say,  there  was  no  flaw  in  his  personal  beauty.  — 
G  by  flattering  the  people,  and  making  himself  familiar  with  them, 
he  won  their  hearts,  and  gave  it  to  be  understood  that  if  he  were 
king,  it  would  be  all  the  better  for  them.  Thus,  by  degrees,  he  gathered 
round  him  a  large  number  of  adherents.  —  7  He  marched  on  Jerusalem 
to  take  it,  in  order  to  seize  the  person  of  his  father  and  take  possession 
of  the  throne.  —  8  which  flowed  in  a  deep  valley  to  the  east  of  the 
town,  between  it  and  the  Mount  of  Olives,  being  crossed  by  a  bridge. 
Picture  to  yourselves  the  aged  king  ascending  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
bare-foot ,  weeping  and  with  his  head  covered ,  a  fugitive  before  his 
own  son.  How  grieved  he  must  have  felt  at  the  faithlessness  of  his 
people  and  the  unnatural  conduct  of  his  son !  How  weary  the  way 
must  have  been  to  him ! 

Absalom,  having  resolved  to  destroy  David  and  his  army, 
went  in  pursuit  of  them.  David,  however,  reviewed  his  men, 
and  placed  brave  captains  in  command,  and  said  that  he 
would  himself  march  at  their  head.  But  this  his  men  would 
not  permit,  saying  that  if  ten  thousand  of  them  fell  in  battle, 
they  would  not  despair ;  but  that  if  he  perished,  all  was  lost. 
The  king  therefore  remained  in  the  city  of  Mahanaim,  but 
he  commanded  Joab  and  his  other  officers,  saying:  "Spare 
me  the  boy  Absalom."  9 

The  battle  was  fought  in  the  midst  of  a  great  wood,  and 
Absalom's  army  was  cut  to  pieces10.  He  himself  fled,  but 
he  could  not  escape  from  divine  justice,  which  pursues  the 
wicked  wherever  they  go.  Having  mounted  a  mule,  he  endea- 
voured to  escape  through  the  forest,  but  his  long  hair  having 


278 


CHAPTER  LVI. 


become  entangled  in  a  tree,   he  remained  hanging  from  a 
branch,  while  his  mule  passed  on. 

And  word  was  brought  to  Joab,  general  of  the  king's 
army.  Joab,  taking  three  javelins,  went  to  the  place  where 
Absalom  was  hanging  from  the  tree,  and  with  his  javelins 
pierced  the  ungrateful,  unnatural  heart  of  the  king's  son. 
Absalom  still  breathed  and  struggled  for  life,  when  some 
of  Joab's  soldiers ,  running  up ,  slew  him  with  their 
swords.  They  then  took  Absalom's  body,  and  casting  it 
into  a  deep  pit  in  the  forest,  piled  over  it  a  large  heap 
of  stones11. 

A  herald  was  sent  to  David  with  news  of  Absalom's  de- 
feat.    David,   with  the  anxiety  of  a  loving   father,   asked: 

"  Is  Absalom  safe  ?  " 
When  told  that 
Absalom  was  dead, 
the  king  refused 
all  comfort,  and  go- 
ing up  into  a  high 
chamber,  mourned 
his  ungrateful  son 
for  many  days. 
"Absalom,  my 
son,"  he  cried,  "my 
son  Absalom,  who 
would  grant  me  that  I  might  die  for  thee ,  Absalom ,  my 
son,  my  son  Absalom ! " 

The  people  of  Jerusalem,  hearing  of  David's  victory,  went 
out  to  meet  him,  and  carried  him  in  triumph  into  the  city. 
David,  in  his  crossing  the  brook  Cedron,  in  sorrow  and 
tribulation,  in  his  ascent  of  Mount  Olivet,  in  his  patient 
forbearance  when  outraged  and  insulted  by  Semei,  and  his 
triumphant  entry  into  Jerusalem,  presents  a  very  striking- 
figure  of  Christ. 

9  "Spare  his  life:  do  not  kill  him."  —  ,0  About  20000  of  his 
adherents  perished.  —  n  Asa  monument  of  his  infamy,  this  memorial 
might  well  have  had  written  over  it:  "Here  lies  one  worthy  of 
being  stoned!" 


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REVOLT  AND  PUNISHMENT  OF  ABSALOM.  279 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Omniscience  of  God.  God  knew  of  David's  secret 
adultery,  and  He  knew  that  he  was  guilty  of  the  death  of 
Urias. 

The  Omnipresence  of  God.  Nathan  said  to  David:  "Thus 
saith  the  Lord:  Why  hast  thou  done  evil  in  my  sight?" 

God  is  Good;  therefore  the  prophet  said  to  the  king:  "The 
Lord  has  done  good  to  thee." 

God  is  Merciful;  for  He  forgave  David  his  grievous  sin: 
"The  Lord  has  taken  away  thy  sin". 

God  is  Holy ;  therefore  David's  sin  was  "displeasing  to  the 
Lord". 

God  is  Just.  The  sentence  which  God  pronounced  on  David, 
through  Nathan,  was  this:  "I  will  raise  up  evil  against  thee 
out  of  thy  own  house",  and  "The  child  that  is  born  to  thee 
shall  surely  die."  Both  sentences  were  executed,  and  David 
suffered  anguish  of  soul. 

The  Sixth  and  Ninth  Commandments.  When  David  looked 
on  the  wife  of  Urias,  instead  of  at  once  turning  his  eyes  from 
her  and  thinking  of  God's  Commandment:  "Thou  shalt  not 
covet  thy  neighbour's  wife",  he  allowed  his  evil  desire  to 
grow  in  his  heart.  Then,  instead  of  resisting  this  sinful  desire, 
and  calling  on  God  for  help  against  the  temptation,  he  con- 
sented to  it,  and  sending  for  the  woman,  induced  her  to  be 
unfaithful  to  her  husband.  He  thus  sinned  against  the  ninth 
and  sixth  Commandments;  and  also  against  the  fifth,  by 
leading  the  woman  to  do  what  was  wrong.  Even  this  was 
not  all,  for  his  adultery  led  him  to  commit  the  further  sin 
of  murder.  But  did  David  kill  Urias  ?  Not  directly,  but  his 
urgent  command  was  the  cause  of  his  death,  so  that  he 
really  killed  him  by  the  hands  of  the  Amorrhites,  as  much 
as  the  Jews  really  crucified  our  Lord  by  the  hands  of  the 
pagan  soldiers. 

Tepidity.  How  did  it  happen  that  the  royal  prophet  fell 
into  this  grievous  sin?  He  had  become  tepid  in  prayer,  and 
was  living  a  comfortable  life  at  home,  while  he  sent  his  cap- 
tains out  to  fight  against  the  unbelievers.  His  fall  gives 
us  a  useful   lesson  against  laxity   in  the  spiritual  life;   and 


280  CHAPTER  LVI. 

teaches  us  that  we  should  keep  a  careful  watch  over  our 
eyes  and  turn  them  away  from  anything  that  awakes  evil 
desires  in  our  hearts:  "Watch  ye  (over  your  senses  and  the 
movements  of  your  hearts)  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not  into 
temptation  (New  Test.  LXVII)."  "He  that  thinketh  him- 
self to  stand  (firm  in  what  is  right),  let  him  take  heed  lest 
he  fall"  (1  Cor.   10,  12). 

The  evil  of  mortal  sin.  In  order  that  David  might  see  the 
enormity  of  his  sin,  Nathan  put  before  him:  1.  that  he  had 
sinned  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  2.  that  he  had  repaid  with 
the  basest  ingratitude  all  the  benefits  which  God  had  showered 
upon  him. 

True  penance.  David  was  not  a  hardened,  obstinate  sinner. 
He  opened  his  heart  to  God's  grace,  and  listened  to  the 
voice  of  his  conscience  which  day  and  night  reproached  him 
for  his.  sin.  He  thus  speaks  in  Psalm  30:  "Day  and  night 
Thy  hand  was  heavy  upon  me.  I  am  turned  in  my  anguish, 
whilst  the  thorn  is  fastened."  Then,  by  God's  merciful  com- 
mand, the  prophet  Nathan  went  to  the  powerful  king  and 
reminded  him  of  God's  great  benefits,  candidly  pointing  out 
to  him  his  grievous  and  twofold  sin.  David,  quite  crushed, 
fell  upon  his  knees,  penitently  confessed  his  sin,  without 
excusing  himself  as  Saul  did,  and  prayed  for  pardon.  He 
did  public  penance,  bewailed  his  sin  (Ps.  6,  7:  "Every 
night  I  water  my  couch  with  my  tears"),  fasted  and  grieved, 
so  that  his  sight  failed  him.  During  this  period  of  contrite 
conversion  he  composed  the  penitential  Psalms,  in  which  he 
expressed  his  repentance  in  moving  words,  and  humbly 
asked  for  pardon.  Then  Nathan  went  to  him  again  and  told 
him  that  God  had  forgiven  him,  though  he  would  still  have 
to  suffer  temporal  punishment.  From  that  time  forward 
David  met  with  many  sufferings  and  misfortunes,  which  he 
bore  patiently  in  expiation  of  his  sin.  Contrition,  confession 
and  satisfaction  are  the  principal  parts  of  penance  and  the 
necessary  conditions  of  absolution. 

Temporal  punishment.  Although  the  sin  and  its  eternal 
punishment  were  remitted,  David  had  still  to  suffer  temporal 
punishment. 


REVOLT  AND  PUNISHMENT  OF  ABSALOM.  281 

The  Fourth  Commandment.  Absalom  sinned  grievously  against 
this  Commandment,  by  violating  the  laws  of  obedience  and 
reverence  which  he  owed  David,  as  a  son  to  his  father,  and 
as  a  subject  to  his  king.  For,  firstly,  he  spoke  evil  of  his 
father,  deeply  grieved  him  and  caused  him  to  shed  tears  of 
anguish,  and  not  only  disobeyed  him,  but  set  himself  up 
actively  against  him.  Secondly,  he  wantonly  blamed  the 
king's  mode  of  government,  and,  arms  in  hand,  rebelled  against 
the  anointed  of  the  Lord.  He  also  sinned  against  the  fifth 
Commandment  by  inducing  a  number  of  the  people  to  re- 
volt against  their  lawful  head. 

The  punishment  for  breaking  the  Fourth  Commandment. 
Absalom's  unnatural  and  profligate  conduct  towards  a  father 
so  worthy  of  love,  met  with  the  punishment  which  it  deserved. 
A  terrible  fate  awaited  Absalom.  He  did  not  perish  in  battle, 
for  very  early  in  the  day  he  thought  of  saving  his  own 
life,  and  took  to  flight.  He  believed  he  could  escape  from 
his  pursuers;  but,  by  God's  providence,  his  head  caught  in 
a  tree  and  there,  full  of  deadly  fear,  he  hung  mid  air  till 
Joab  came  and  pierced  his  ungrateful,  disobedient  heart.  He 
had  hoped  to  be  raised  to  the  throne,  but  he  met  with  the 
death  of  a  criminal.  His  hair,  of  which  he  was  so  proud, 
and  which  he  had  hoped  to  adorn  with  a  royal  crown,  caught 
in  the  branch  of  a  tree  and  brought  him  to  his  ruin.  In- 
stead of  the  sceptre  which  he  had  tried  to  grasp,  three 
spears  transfixed  his  traitorous  heart.  Instead  of  being  crowned 
with  the  honour  and  renown  he  had  coveted,  he  was  buried 
in  a  dishonourable  grave  and  his  memory  laden  with  infamy. 
In  him  God  fulfilled  His  words:  "Cursed  be  he  who  honoureth 
not  his  father  and  mother";  and  this  curse  will  fall  on  all 
those  children  who  despise  and  injure  their  parents,  or  cause 
them  anguish  of  heart  by  their  defiance  and  disobedience. 
How  will  it  have  fared  with  Absalom  in  the  next  world? 
For  not  only  his  father's  tears,  but  the  blood  of  the  20000  slain, 
whom  he  induced  to  sin  by  his  flatteries  and  promises,  and 
finally  led  to  their  death,  will  have  accused  him  before  God, 
and  cried  out  for  vengeance. 

The  love   of  parents  for  their  children.     David's  love  for 


282  CHAPTER  LVI. 

his  thankless  son  never  changed.  "0,  that  I  had  died  for 
thee!"  he  cried.  Parents  often  love  their  children  much 
more  than  they  deserve,  therefore  it  is  all  the  more  heart- 
less and  ungrateful  of  children  to  injure  their  parents. 

Gentleness  and  patience  under  suffering.  It  grieved  David 
deeply  that  his  own  son  should  come  out  against  him  as  a 
mortal  enemy.  His  heart  bled,  and  he  shed  bitter  tears  when 
he  thought  of  the  ingratitude  and  impiety  of  his  child,  the 
faithlessness  of  his  people,  and  the  misery  which  this  civil 
war  kindled  by  Absalom  would  bring  on  his  country.  He 
neither  complained  nor  murmured,  nor  did  he  curse  his 
wicked  son ;  but  he  bore  all  the  suffering  and  injustice  with 
patience  and  gentleness,  saying  to  himself:  "I  have  deserved 
all  these  misfortunes,  for  I  have  grievously  sinned  against 
God."  Thus  we  too  ought  to  do  penance  for  our  sins,  by 
patience  under  suffering. 

Love  of  our  enemies.  Even  as  God  forgave  David  his  sin, 
so  did  David  forgive  those  who  sinned  and  rebelled  against 
him.  "Forgive  us  our  trespasses  as  we  forgive  them  that 
trespass  against  us."  He  who  forgives  from  his  heart  is  like 
unto  the  merciful  God.  There  is  something  noble,  nay,  some- 
thing divine,  in  forgiving  and  forgetting. 

Pride,  the  source  of  many  sins.  The  great  sins  of  which 
Absalom  was  guilty  sprang  from  pride.  The  beauty  of  his 
person,  and  especially  of  his  hair,  made  him  vain  and  conceited. 
Being  the  most  beautiful,  he  wished  also  to  be  the  first  man  in 
the  kingdom.  He  therefore  rebelled  against  his  royal  father, 
and  led  his  people  into  a  revolt  which  cost  many  thousand  lives. 

The  value  of  virtue.  Do  you  like  Absalom?  No?  and 
why  not?  He  was  a  handsome  young  man,  behaved  very 
politely  and  courteously  to  the  people ,  and  knew  perfectly 
how  to  say  nice  and  pleasant  things;  so  why  do  you  not 
like  him?  Because  he  had  a  false,  bad  heart;  and  was  a 
flatterer  and  a  hypocrite.  So  you  see  that  however  hand- 
some and  pleasant  a  man  may  be,  if  he  has  a  proud,  bad 
heart,  he  is  neither  loveable  nor  worthy  of  respect,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  hateful  and  despicable  in  the  eyes  of  God  and 
man.   It  is  only  virtue  which  can  give  real  worth  to  a  man. 


DAVID'S  LAST  WORDS.— HIS  DEATH.  283 

III.  Application. 

David  is  the  model  of  a  truly  penitent  man.  Though  he 
was  a  king  he  humbly  accepted  Nathan's  reproaches,  and 
contritely  confessed  his  sin.  Are  you  ashamed  to  make  a 
sincere  confession  of  your  sins?  He,  an  Israelite,  bitterly 
repented  and  bewailed  his  sin:  you  are  a  Christian,  but 
where  are  your  tears  of  repentance  ?  This  very  day  say  one 
of  the  penitential  Psalms  as  a  prayer ! 

Keep  a  guard  on  your  eyes;  they  are  the  windows  of 
your  soul.  Drive  any  bad  thought  from  your  heart  at  once. 
Say :  "  Away  with  it ! "  and  pray  for  help.  Nathan's  words 
to  David:  "The  Lord  has  done  good  to  you:  why  have  you 
done  evil  in  His  sight  ? "  apply  to  you  as  well  as  to  David. 

Has  your  mother  ever  shed  tears  on  your  account?  Have 
you  ever  injured,  or  grieved,  or  seriously  irritated  your 
father?  In  what  way  do  you  most  grieve  your  parents? 
Have  you  truly  repented  of  all  sins  committed  against  the 
fourth  Commandment  ?  Has  your  conduct  towards  your  parents 
improved?  Do  you  obey  them  at  once  and  without  arguing; 
or  is  it  only  when  they  scold  and  are  angry  that  you  obey? 
Children,  I  wish  for  everything  that  is  most  good  for  you; 
that  everything  may  be  well  with  you  on  earth,  and  that 
you  may  be  eternally  happy  in  heaven.  Therefore  because  I 
wish  this,  I  say  most  earnestly  to  you:  "  Honour  and  love  your 
parents,  and  obey  them,  or  else  you  will  know  no  happiness 
on  earth,  and  never  get  to  heaven."  Woe  to  those  children 
who  do  not  observe  the  fourth  Commandment! 


Chapter  LVII. 
DAVID'S  LAST  WORDS.— HIS  DEATH. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

DAVID  was  thirty  years  old  when  he  ascended  the  throne 
of  Israel,  and  he  reigned  forty  years  in  honour  and  glory. 
When  the  time  of  his  death  drew  near,  he  gathered  together 
the  princes  of  Israel,  and  told  them  that  he  had  intended 
to  build  a  house  to  the  Lord,  and  had  prepared  all  the 
materials   for  a   new  Temple;   but  that  the  Lord  had  not 


284  CHAPTER  LVII. 

allowed  him  to  carry  out  his  plan,  because  he  had  shed 
much  blood  in  his  many  battles. 

The  building  of  the  Temple  was  reserved  for  Solomon, 
his  son 1,  whose  kingdom  should  be  great  and  powerful  if 
he  would  be  faithful  to  the  Commandments  of  God.  David, 
therefore,  exhorted  his  son  to  serve  God  with  a  good  will, 
because  the  Lord  sounds  the  depths  of  hearts,  and  penetrates 
the  thoughts  of  men.  "If  thou  seek  Him,"  said  David, 
"thou  shalt  find  Him;  but  if  thou  forsake  Him,  He  will  cast 
thee  off  for  ever." 

David  then  gave  his  son  gold  and  silver  for  the  vessels 
of  the  Sanctuary2,  together  with  the  plan  of  the  Temple 
and  its  precincts,  and  said  to  him:  "All  these  things  came 
to  me  written  by  the  hand  of  the  Lord 3.  Act  like  a  man,  take 
courage  and  fear  not ;  for  the  Lord  my  God  will  be  with  thee, 
nor  forsake  thee  till  thou  hast  finished  the  House  of  the  Lord." 

1  Solomon  was  decreed  by  God  Himself  to  be  David's  successor. 
His  name  signifies  Prince  of  Peace.  —  2  which  he  had  saved  from 
the  booty  taken  in  war,  and  from  the  income  of  his  own  possessions. 
There  were  3000  talents  of  gold,  and  7000  talents  of  silver.  — 
3  "  God  has  so  put  into  my  mind."  As  on  a  former  occasion  God  gave 
Moses  instructions  as  to  the  making  of  the  Tabernacle  (Chapt.  XXXVIII), 
so  now  He  made  known  to  David  the  plan  on  which  He  desired  the 
Temple  to  be  built,  because  the  Temple  was  to  be  the  type  of  the 
Church  of  the  New  Testament. 

Then,  addressing  the  assembled  princes,  David  said:  "The 
work  is  great4;  for  a  house  is  prepared  not  for  man,  but 
for  God.  Now,  if  any  man  is  willing  to  offer,  let  him  fill 
his  hand  to-day,  and  offer  what  he  pleaseth  to  the  Lord." 
And  the  princes  and  the  people  joyfully  brought  their  gifts 
for  the  Temple  of  the  Lord5. 

And  David,  rejoicing,  exclaimed:  "Blessed  art  Thou,  O 
Lord,  the  God  of  Israel,  our  Father  from  eternity  to  eternity. 
All  things  are  Thine,  and  we  have  given  Thee  what  we 
received  of  Thy  hand.  O  Lord,  keep  forever  this  will  of 
their  heart,  and  let  this  mind  remain  always  for  the  worship 
of  Thee ;  and  give  to  Solomon,  my  son,  a  perfect  heart,  that 
he  may  keep  Thy  Commandments."  Having  thus  spoken, 
David  slept  in  peace6.     He  was  buried  in  Sion. 


DAVID'S  LAST  WORDS.— HIS  DEATH.  285 

4  The  work  of  building  the  House  of  God.  —  5  As  formerly  their 
forefathers  had  eagerly  brought  of  their  wealth,  for  the  making  of 
the  Tabernacle  (Chapt.  XXXVIII) ,  so  now  did  they  joyfully  bring 
splendid  offerings  with  which  to  build  a  worthy  Temple  for  the  Lord. 
—  G  He  had  reigned  forty  years,  and,  as  he  was  thirty  years  old 
when  he  began  to  reign,  he  was  seventy  when  he  died. 

II.   Commentary. 

God's  Omniscience.  David  said  to  Solomon:  "Serve  God 
with  a  perfect  heart,  for  the  Lord  searcheth  all  hearts  and 
thoughts  of  the  soul." 

God's  Holiness.  God,  indeed,  forgave  David  his  sin,  but 
all  the  same  He  told  him  that  he  should  not  build  Him  a 
Temple,  because  he  was  a  man  of  blood. 

God's  Justice.  "  If  thou  forsake  God,"  said  David  to  Solomon, 
"He  will  cast  thee  off  for  ever." 

The  end  of  David's  life.  The  last  days  of  the  royal  prophet's 
life  were  beautiful  and  edifying.  His  only  care  was  that 
a  fitting  Temple  should  be  raised  to  the  Lord,  and  he  urged 
his  son  most  earnestly  to  be  faithful  and  obedient  to  God. 
And  then  he  slept  "in  the  Lord",  i.  e.  in  the  grace  of  the 
Lord.  He  was  able  to  gaze  back  on  his  active  and  eventful 
life,  and  leave  it  with  the  thought  that  he  had  finished  his 
task.  The  task  which  God  had  given  the  former  shepherd 
to  do  was  a  great  one,  and  one  very  important  for  the 
development  of  God's  kingdom  upon  earth.  David  had  secured 
to  the  chosen  people  their  possession  of  the  Promised  Land, 
he  had  disabled  his  enemies  for  a  long  time  to  come,  he 
had  strengthened  the  unity  of  the  people,  ordered  the 
government  of  the  country  according  to  God's  laws,  extirpated 
the  remnants  of  idolatry,  and  advanced  the  worship  of  God 
by  his  regulations  concerning  it,  by  his  example  and  his  ever- 
beautiful  Psalms.  His  prophecies  concerning  the  Messias 
had  quickened  the  spiritual  life  of  the  people,  and  turned 
their  thoughts  to  the  source  of  grace.  He  was  a  chosen 
instrument  of  God,  and,  with  the  exception  of  his  fall,  of 
which  he  deeply  repented,  he  lived  a  life  well-pleasing  to 
Him.  God,  therefore,  gave  him  the  grace  of  perseverance 
and  of  a  happy  death. 


286  CHAPTER  LVII. 

A  retrospect  of  David's  virtues :  humility,  confidence  in  God, 
piety,  zeal  for  God's  glory,  patience,  love  of  his  enemies, 
justice,  generosity,  and  fatherly  care  of  his  subjects.  The 
Holy  Ghost  says  about  him  (Ecclus.  47,  10):  "With  his 
whole  heart  he  praised  the  Lord,  and  loved  the  God  Who 
made  him."  He  is  rightly  counted  among  the  saints  of  the 
Old  Testament,  and  is  still  venerated  by  the  Church. 

David,  the  twelfth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  David  not  only  fore- 
told the  sufferings  and  glory  of  the  Redeemer,  but  was  himself 
a  type  of  Him.  He  was  born  at  Bethlehem;  he  led  a  hidden  life 
during  his  youth ;  and  conquered  Goliath  with  a  contemptible 
weapon  (Jesus  overcame  Satan  by  means  of  the  despised 
Cross).  He  was  persecuted  by  Saul,  to  whom  he  had  done 
nothing  but  good,  he  was  patient,  and  full  of  love  towards 
his  enemies.  He  was  both  prophet  and  king;  he  ascended 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  crossing  the  brook  Cedron,  bowed  down 
with  grief;  and  returned  triumphantly  to  Jerusalem  (the 
type  of  the  Ascension),  having  gained  the  victory  over  his 
enemies  ("sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God"). 

The  end  of  man.  When  Solomon  was  anointed  king,  in 
his  father's  lifetime,  David  said  to  him:  "Serve  God  with 
a  perfect  heart  and  willing  mind."  When  he  was  dying, 
he  thus  exhorted  him:  "Keep  the  charge  of  the  Lord  thy 
God  to  walk  in  His  ways,  as  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses." 
All  men,  whatever  their  age  or  position  may  be,  have  one 
end  to  live  for,  namely  to  love  God  and  serve  Him  by  a 
faithful  observance  of  His  law. 

The  four  last  things.  The  journey  of  life  leads  to  death. 
High  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  we  must  all  die.  And  after 
death  come  the  judgment  and  an  eternity,  either  of  joy  in 
heaven  or  of  misery  in  hell. 

Offerings  for  the  House  of  God.  In  Psalm  25,  David  says:  "I 
have  loved,  0  Lord,  the  beauty  of  Thy  house,  and  the  place  where 
Thy  glory  dwelleth."  He  made  rich  offerings  to  the  Temple  which 
was  to  be  built  to  the  Lord,  and  his  example  fired  the  people  to 
make  generous  gifts  for  the  same  purpose.  He  who  loves  God  will 
gladly  make  offerings  to  Him  for  the  building  and  decorating  of  His 
churches,  and   for  the   beautifying   of  His  worship.     What  we   give 


SOLOMON'S  PRAYER.— HIS  WISDOM.  287 

for  such  an  object  is  given  to  God.    "  Give  to  the  Lord,"  said  David, 
when  he  asked  for  stones  wherewith  to  build  the  Temple. 

III.  Application. 

Take  to  heart  David's  exhortations  to  Solomon,  as  much 
as  if  they  had  been  made  to  yourself.  Be  steadfast !  Hitherto 
you  have  been  very  inconstant.  Observe  everything  which 
the  Lord  has  commanded.  On  what  point  do  you  generally 
and  chiefly  transgress  God's  law  ?  Pray  to-day  for  the  grace 
of  steadfastness! 

Chapter  LVIII. 

SOLOMON'S  PRAYER.— HIS  WISDOM. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  the  death  of  David,  Solomon  ascended  the  throne  k 
He  loved  the  Lord,  and  walked  in  the  ways  of  David, 
his  father.  The  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  a  dream  by  night, 
and  told  him  to  ask  any  favour  he  wished,  and  that  it  would 
be  granted.  Solomon  answered:  "0  Lord  God,  Thou  hast 
made  Thy  servant2  king  instead  of  David,  my  father,  and 
I  am  but  a  child  3.  Give  therefore  to  Thy  servant  an  under- 
standing heart  to  judge  Thy  people,  and  discern  between 
good  and  evil." 

The  Lord  was  pleased  with  his  petition,  and  He  said  to 
him :  "  Because  thou  hast  asked  this  thing,  and  hast  not 
asked  for  thyself  long  life,  nor  riches,  nor  the  lives  of  thy 
enemies,  but  hast  asked  for  thyself  wisdom  to  discern 
judgment,  behold!  I  have  done  for  thee  according  to  thy 
words,  and  have  given  thee  a  wise  and  understanding  heart, 
insomuch  that  there  hath  been  no  one  like  thee  before  thee, 
nor  shall  arise  after  thee. 

"Yea,  and  the  things,  also,  which  thou  didst  not  ask,  I 
have  given  thee :  riches  and  glory,  so  that  no  one  hath  been 
like  thee  among  the  kings  in  all  days  heretofore.  And  if 
thou  wilt  walk  in  my  ways,  and  keep  my  precepts  and 
commandments,  as  thy  father  walked,  I  will  lengthen  thy 
days."  And  Solomon  became  renowned  for  wisdom,  and 
for  power  and  glory. 


288  CHAPTER  LVITT. 

1  He  began  to  govern  as  king,  having  been  anointed  during  his 
father's  lifetime.  —  2  I  who  am  so  unworthy.  —  3  Solomon,  when 
he  began  to  reign,  was  only  twenty  years  old. 

On  one  occasion  two  women  came  to  Solomon,  asking 
him  to  decide  their  dispute.  The  first  woman  said:  "We 
were  living  alone  in  a  house,  only  we  two.  Now  I  had  a 
child,  and  she  had  a  child ;  and  in  the  night  when  she  was 
asleep,  she  overlaid  her  child,  and  it  died. 

"And  rising  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  she  took  my  child, 
while  I,  thy  handmaid,  was  asleep,  and  laid  her  dead  child 
in  my  bosom.  When  I  arose  in  the  morning,  behold,  my 
child  was  dead;  but  considering  him  more  diligently  when 
it  was  clear  day,  I  found  that  it  was  not  mine."  Then  the 
second  woman  answered:  "It  is  not  so  as  thou  sayest,  but 
thy  child  is  dead  and  mine  is  alive." 

But  the  first  woman  insisted  that  the  living  child  was 
hers,  and  so  they  disputed  before  the  king 4.  Then  Solomon 
ordered  a  sword  to  be  brought  to  him,  and  when  it  was 
brought  he  said:  "Divide  the  living  child  in  two,  and  give 
half  to  the  one  and  half  to  the  other."  5  Hearing  this,  the 
woman  whose  child  was  alive,  being  moved  to  pity,  cried 
out  in  terror:  "I  beseech  thee,  my  lord,  give  her  the  child 
alive,  and  do  not  kill  it."  But  the  other  said:  "Let  it  be 
neither  mine  nor  thine,  but  divide  it."  6 

Then  the  king  commanded  the  child  to  be  given  to  her 
who  would  rather  give  it  up  to  another  than  have  it  killed, 
knowing  that  she  must  be  its  mother.  The  report  of  this 
judgment  having  gone  abroad,  the  people  all  feared  the  king, 
and  knew  that  the  wisdom  of  God  was  in  him7.  How 
necessary  it  is  that  kings  and  rulers  should  examine  in  the 
spirit  of  justice  and  wisdom  all  cases  brought  before  them ! 

4  The  dispute  between  the  women  was  hard  to  decide,  because 
no  witnesses  could  be  called.  —  5  The  king  gave  this  command 
because  he  had  the  foresight  to  know  that  by  it  he  would  find  out 
the  true  mother,  and  that  there  would  be  no  question  of  its  being 
really  carried  out.  He  rightly  judged  that  the  maternal  heart  of  the 
woman  would  move  her  rather  to  give  up  her  child  than  see  it  killed. 
6  By  this  hard-hearted  speech  Solomon  knew  at  once  that  the  speaker 
was  not   the   mother   of  the   living    child.  —  7  i.  e.  that  the  young 


SOLOMON'S  PRAYER.— HIS  WISDOM. 


289 


king  had  not  settled  the  difficult  question  thus  skilfully  and  decisively 
by  his  own  natural  ability,  but  by  a  supernatural  inspiration  of  God. 
Without  this  inspiration  it  would  not  have  occurred  to  Solomon  to 
find  out  the  true  mother  in  such  a  peculiar  way. 

II.  Commentary. 

God's  Goodness  to  Solomon  was  wonderful.  What  gifts 
did  He  bestow  and  what  promises  did  He  make  the  young 
king? 

Love  of  God  and  our  neighbour.  Solomon,  by  his  great 
virtues,  had  made  himself  worthy  of  God's  gifts  and  graces. 
He  loved  God  above  everything,  and  served  Him  with  a 
willing  heart.  Moreover,  he  loved  his  people  and  was  full 
of  zeal  for  their  good.  He  therefore  prayed  to  God  to  give 
him  the  gift  of  wisdom  to  enable  him  to  govern  his  people 
well,  and  provide  for  their  spiritual  and  temporal   welfare. 

His  humility  was  most  pleasing  to  God.  He  showed  it 
by  his  words:  "Thou  hast  made  Thy  servant  king,  who  am 
but  a  child."  In  him  were  fulfilled  the  words:  "To  the 
meek  God  will  give  grace"  (Prov.  3,  34). 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  13 


290  CHAPTER  LVIII. 

Prayer  for  spiritual  gifts.  Solomon's  prayer  was  pleasing 
to  God  because,  firstly,  he  made  it  with  a  humble  heart; 
and,  secondly,  because  he  did  not  pray  for  riches  or  long 
life,  but  for  far  higher  gifts.  This  shows  us  that  we  must 
not  pray  only  for  temporal  blessings,  such  as  health,  or  a 
good  harvest,  or  peace,  and  so  forth,  but  above  all  for  higher 
and  more  precious  gifts,  such  as  the  forgiveness  of  sins, 
virtue,  and  especially  for  the  grace  to  do  our  duty  in  our 
own  state  of  life.  In  the  "Our  Father",  the  pattern-prayer 
taught  us  by  our  Lord,  there  are  five  petitions  for  spiritual 
gifts,  and  only  two  for  temporal  gifts,  the  fourth,  and  the 
seventh,  even  these  two  being  combined  with  spiritual 
petitions.  Bear  in  mind  our  Lord's  exhortation  and  promise: 
"  Seek  ye,  therefore,  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  justice, 
and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you"  (New  Test.  XXI). 

Envy.  The  woman  who  accidentally  smothered  her  baby, 
was  a  bad  woman  with  no  conscience.  She  envied  the 
happiness  of  the  other  woman  whose  child  was  living,  and 
would  have  liked  the  innocent  baby  to  be  killed  in  order 
that  the  other  woman  might  be  childless  as  well  as  herself. 
This  shows  what  a  cruel  and  hateful  sin  envy  is. 

Lies.  The  envious  woman  told  the  most  barefaced  lies 
in  order  to  gain  possession  of  the  living  child. 

Mortal  sin.  The  envious  woman  lied  about  a  serious  matter, 
for  her  object  was  to  rob  a  mother  of  her  child;  and, 
therefore,  her  lie  was  a  mortal  sin.  She  sinned  not  only 
against  the  eighth  Commandment,  but  also  against  the  tenth 
and  fifth  Commandments,  for,  in  the  first  place,  she  coveted 
the  child  which  was  its  mother's  dearest  earthly  possession, 
and  then  desired  its  death.  All  these  sins  proceeded  from 
the  hateful  sin  of  envy. 

Tlie  gift  of  wisdom.  The  first  and  highest  of  the  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  the  crown  of  all  the  others,  is  the  gift  of  wisdom. 
God  gave  Solomon  this  gift  in  an  extraordinary  measure.  Not  only 
did  he  possess  a  knowledge  of  divine  things,  but  he  was  versed  in 
all  human  sciences,  knowing  the  secrets  of  nature,  the  course  of  the 
stars,  and  the  properties  of  beasts,  plants  &c.  Moreover,  he  was 
gifted  with  the  art  of  government;  and  the  renown  of  his  wisdom 
spread  far  and  wide,  as  you  will  see  in  Chapter  LX. 


THE  BUILDING  AND  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  TEMPLE.    291 
III.  Application. 

Do  you  pray  mostly  for  spiritual  or  temporal  gifts  ?  In 
future  pray  more  diligently  for  God's  grace,  and  especially 
for  the  seven  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Pray  also  for  the 
gift  of  the  virtue  most  opposed  to  your  besetting  sin. 

Chapter  LIX. 

THE  BUILDING  AND  CONSECRATION  OF  THE 
TEMPLE. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

IN  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign,  Solomon  began  to  build 
the  Temple  of  the  Lord  on  Mount  Moria 1  in  Jerusalem. 
He  had  ten  thousand  men  employed  cutting  cedars  on  Mount 
Lebanon  2.  ffieventv^  thousand  were  engaged  in  carrying  the 
materials  to  the  site  of  the  Temple.  Eighty  thousand  were 
hewing  stones,  while  three  thousand  three  hundred  were 
employed  as  overseers  of  the  work. 

The  vast  number  of  persons  employed  corresponded  with 
the  grandeur  and  magnificence  of  the  house  of  God,  the 
general  plan  of  which  was  that  of  the  Tabernacle  3.  In  other 
respects,  however,  the  Tabernacle  could  not  be  compared 
with  the  Temple,  which  was  sixty  cubits  long,  twenty^cubits 
wide,  and  thirty  cubits  high.  The  house  was  built  of  stones 
hewed  and  made  ready,  so  that  when  it  was  in  building, 
neither  hammer  nor  any  iron  tool  was  heard.  Then  there 
were,  besides,  porches  and  galleries  running  all  around  it, 
and  two  large  courts  for  the  priests  and  the  people4. 

The  porch  before  the  Temple  was  twenty  cubits  in  length, 
and  ten  cubits  in  breadth.    The  inner  walls  were  lined  with 
planks  of  cedar,  on  which  were  carved  cherubim  and  palm- 
trees,  and  divers  blooming  flowers,  all   standing   out,  as   it 
were,   from   the   wall,  so   skilfully   were  they   carved.     All  I 
the   furniture5,  including  ten   tables   and  ten   candlesticks,-/ 
were  of  the  purest  gold.     The  walls  and  floor  of  the  Holy/ 
of  Holies  were  covered  with  plates  of  fine  gold,  fastened  byv_ 
nails  of  gold. 

13* 


292  CHAPTER  LIX. 

1  On  which  mountain  Abraham  had  built  an  altar,  and  prepared  to 
sacrifice  his  son  (Chapt.  XIII).  It  is  situated  to  the  north-east  of 
Mount  Sion,  being  separated  from  it  by  a  valley.  —  2  See  map.  The 
cedar  is  the  king  of  the  pine-tribe ;  its  wood  is  durable,  sweet  smelling, 
and  does  not  get  worm  eaten.  The  great  stones  which  were  necessary 
for  the  building  of  the  Temple,  also  came  from  Lebanon.  The  materials 
for  building  were  taken  to  the  sea-coast,  at  either  Tyre  or  Sidon, 
there  put  on  vessels  or  rafts ,  and  taken  to  Joppe ,  and  thence  to 
Jerusalem.  —  3  which  is  described  in  Chapter  XXXVIII.  —  4  the 
inner  one  for  the  priests,  and  the  outer  one  for  the  people.  The  outer 
court  was  surrounded  by  high  walls,  on  the  inner  side  of  which  were 
built  houses,  several  stories  high,  to  serve  as  dwellings  for  the  priests 
and  Levites.  In  the  inner,  or  priests',  court  were  the  altar  of  holo- 
causts ,  and  the  great  laver  which  on  account  of  its  enormous  size 
was  called  "the  molten  sea".  It  measured  ten  cubits  across,  and 
contained  10,000  gallons  of  water.  —  5  also  the  table  of  proposition, 
besides  cans,  platters,  and  thuribles,  which  were  all  made  of  pure  gold. 

When,  after  seven  years,  Solomon  had  finished  the  Temple, 
he  assembled  all  the  ancients  of  Israel,  with  the  princes  of 
the  tribes,  to  carry  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  in  triumph  to 
the  Temple.  And  all  the  people  6  marched  before  the  Ark 
in  an  ecstasy  of  joy  and  religious  fervour,  making  peace- 
offerings  to  the  Lord  at  every  step  they  took.  The  Levites 
played  on  the  harp  and  cymbal  and  many  other  instruments 
of  music,  while  a  hundred  and  twenty  priests  sounded  the 
trumpet. 

^  And  the  multitude  sang  in  one  grand  chorus:  "Praise  the 
Lord,  for  He  is  good,  and  His  mercy  endureth  forever." 
Then  the  Ark  having  arrived  at  the  gates  of  the  Temple, 
only  the  priests  who  carried  it  entered  in,  and  they  brought 
it  to  the  Holy  of  Holies,  and  the  cherubim  shaded  it  with 
their  wings.  And  the  majesty  of  God  in  the  form  of  a 
cloud  7  filled  the  Temple,  so  that  the  priest  could  not  stand 
to  minister,  because  of  the  dazzling  glory  thereof. 

Then  Solomon,  arrayed  in  his  richest  robes,  fell  on  his 
face  before  the  altar  of  holocausts,  and  stretching  out  his 
hands,  he  said:  "Lord  God  of  Israel,  there  is  no  God  like 
Thee  in  heaven  or  on  earth.  If  heaven,  and  the  heaven  of 
heavens8  cannot  contain  Thee,  how  much  less  this  house 
which  I  have  built!     0  Lord  my  God,  hear  the  hymn   and 


THE  BUILDING  AND  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  TEMPLE.     293 


the  prayer  which  Thy  servant  prayeth  before  Thee  this  day, 
that  Thy  eyes  may  be  open  upon  this  house  night  and  day, 
that  Thou  mayest  hearken  to  the  prayer  which  Thy  servant 
prayeth  in  this  place  to  Thee.  Mayest  Thou  hearken  to 
Thy  people  when  they  pray  in  this  place.  Mayest  Thou 
hear  them  and  show  them  mercy." 

Solomon's  prayer  being  ended,  fire  fell  from  heaven  and 
consumed  the  holocaust9.  Seeing  this,  the  Israelites  fell 
prostrate  on  the  ground  and  adored  the  great  God  of  heaven, 
Who  wrought  such  wonders  before  them,  and  they  went 
away  praising  His  awful  name.  The  Lord  appeared  a 
second  time10  to  Solomon  and  said:  "I  have  heard  thy 
prayer,  and  I  have  sanctified  this  house  n  which  thou  hast 
built;   and  My  eyes  and  My  heart  shall  be  always  there." 

With  all  its  grandeur  and  magnificence,  Solomon's  Temple 
was  but  a  faint  image  of  our  temples,  in  which  Jesus  Christ, 
true  God  and  true  Man,  dwells  under  the  appearance  of 
bread,  pouring  out  upon  us  His  most  abundant  graces. 


294  CHAPTER  LIX. 

6  The  princes,  ancients,  and  representatives  of  the  tribes.  —  7  in 
which  the  glory  of  the  Lord  was  present  (Chapt.  XXXVIII).  — 
8  heaven  in  its  widest  sense.  —  9  This  was  a  sign  that  God  was 
well-pleased  with  the  sacrifices  and  the  prayer.  —  l0  for  an  account 
of  the  first  time  God  appeared  to  Solomon  see  Chapter  LVIII.  — 
11  by  My  presence. 
II.   Commentary. 

See  also  Commentary  Chapter  XXXVIII. 
God  is  infinitely  Great,  and  is  not  subject  to  the  limits  of 
space  or  time,  for  both  were  created  by  Him.   He  is  present 
everywhere  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  but  neither  heaven  nor 
earth  can  contain  Him  who  is  infinite  and  immeasurable. 

God  is  Good  and  Merciful.  The  Levites  sang:  "Praise 
the  Lord  for  He  is  good  and  His  mercy  endureth  forever." 
The  story  we  have  just  read  shows  forth  His  goodness.  He 
came  in  the  cloud,  and  took  possession  of  the  Temple,  to 
dwell  there  in  an  especial  manner.  He  was  pleased  with 
Solomon's  prayer  and  sacrifice.  He  appeared  to  Solomon 
and  promised  Him  that  the  Temple  should  be  a  holy  place, 
and  that  He  would  hearken  to  those  who  prayed  therein. 

Exterior  worship.  Our  worship  of  God  must  have  an 
outward  expression ;  for  everything  which  moves  our  hearts 
(as,  for  instance,  anger),  shows  itself  outwardly.  The  Israelites 
expressed  their  worship  of  God  by  solemn  processions,  by 
canticles,  by  praying  aloud,  by  genuflections,  by  uplifting 
of  the  hands  and  by  sacrifices.  And  God  was  pleased  with 
these  outward  expressions  of  worship,  because  they  came 
from  the  heart. 

The  necessity  of  places  of  worship.  God  needs  no  house, 
nor  church ;  but  we  must  have  places  where  we  can  worship 
Him  in  common,  and  praise  Him  and  ask  for  blessings;  so 
that  it  is  on  our  account  that  God  requires  places  of  worship. 
For  this  cause  He  Himself  designed  the  Tabernacle,  and, 
later  on,  the  Temple.  The  Israelites  could  worship  God 
everywhere ;  but  in  the  Temple  He  was  present  in  an  especial 
manner,  to  listen  to  prayers  and  grant  graces,  and  they 
were  therefore  commanded  to  visit  the  Temple.  By  the 
second  Commandment  of  the  Church,  visiting  churches  is 
imposed  on  us  as  a  duty. 


THE  BUILDING  AND  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  TEMPLE.    295 

The  Sanctity  of  Catholic  churches.  The  Israelites  had  only 
one  Temple :  we  have  many  churches.  Although  the  Templej 
at  Jerusalem  was  exceptionally  beautiful  and  costly,  the 
poorest  Catholic  chapel  is  far  more  holy  and  rich  than  it 
because  in  our  churches  the  holy  Sacraments  are  dispensed, 
and  because,  above  all  other  reasons,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
with  His  Divinity  and  Humanity,  is  there  present,  and,  in! 
the  Mass,  offers  Himself  for  us  to  His  Heavenly  Father.  As 
St.  Chrysostom  beautifully  says:  "If  we  could  open  the  heaven 
of  heavens,  we  should  find  nothing  greater  or  more  holy 
than  that  which  reposes  on  our  altars."  We  ought  to  have 
the  utmost  veneration  for  our  churches,  and  visit  them 
diligently  and  devoutly.  King  Solomon  threw  himself  on 
his  knees  in  the  outer  court  of  the  Temple,  and  raised  his 
arms  to  God  in  prayer;  and  shall  we  be  ashamed  to  kneel 
down  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament  and  devoutly  clasp  our 
hands  ? 

The  Consecration  of  churches.  Our  churches  are  solemnly  con- 
secrated. Thereby  they  are  sanctified  to  be  the  property  and  dwelling- 
place  of  God,  and  the  abode  of  grace.  In  memory  of  its  consecration 
or  dedication,  and  as  a  thanksgiving  for  the  benefits  it  has  brought 
to  us,  it  is  usual  to  keep  every  year  the  feast  of  the  dedication  of 
a  church.  On  that  anniversary  we  have  more  cause  than  had  the 
Israelites  to  say:  "Praise  the  Lord,  for  He  is  good,  and  His  mercy 
endureth  forever." 

The  Presence  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  God  was 
present  to  the  Israelites  in  a  visible  way  in  the  Temple ;  and,  therefore, 
the  Temple  was  in  very  deed  "a  dwelling-place  of  God  among  men". 
Now,  after  God  had  become  Man,  would  He  have  removed  Himself 
further  from  us  than  He  was  from  the  Israelites?  Are  we  to  have 
no  dwelling-place  of  God  in  our  midst?  Is  nothing  to  be  left  to  us 
Christians  but  the  bare  memory  of  God  made  Man?  No!  It  would 
be  inconceivable  that  God,  after  His  Incarnation,  should  be  less  ap- 
proachable than  He  was  before  it!  Jesus  Christ  would  not  leave  us 
orphans;  therefore,  He  has  remained  with  us,  being  present  on  our 
altars  under  the  visible  appearances  of  bread  and  wine  in  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  There  He  is  in  the  Tabernacle;  His  Eyes  and  His  Heart 
beholding  those  who  came  to  adore  Him.  If  Jesus  were  not  present 
in  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament,  then  those  who  lived  under  the  Old 
Testament,  would  have  been  better  off  than  we  who  are  living  under 
the  New  Testament,  and  we  should,  perforce,  envy  the  Israelites  with 
whom  God  was  present  in  at  least  one  Temple. 


L 


296  CHAPTER  LX. 

III.  Application. 

See  also  Application  Chapter  XXXVIII. 

Visit  your  Divine  Saviour  present  in  the  church.  Visit 
Him  this  very  day.  Pray  to  Him  with  devotion  and  faith, 
and  thank  Him  for  the  love  which  makes  Him  dwell  with 
us,  offer  Himself  up  for  us,  and  give  Himself  to  us  that  He 
may  be  the  food  of  our  souls. 

Chapter  LX. 
SOLOMON'S  MAGNIFICENCE.— HIS  SAD  END. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

BESIDES  the  Temple  which  he  erected  to  the  Lord,  Solo- 
mon built  for  himself  a  palace  of  wonderful  magnificence 1. 
His  throne  was  of  ivory,  overlaid  with  the  finest  gold.  It 
had  six  steps,  and  at  the  two  ends  of  each  step  there  stood 
a  lion:  six  to  the  right  and  six  to  the  left — in  all,  twelve 
lions.  But  the  top  of  the  throne  was  round,  and  had  a  large 
lion,  well  made,  on  either  side.  And  Solomon  made  two 
hundred  shields  of  the  purest  gold,  and  hung  them  in  his 
palace. 

All  thej^esselsLOut  of  which  the  king  drank,  were^of.gold, 
and  all  the  furniture  of  his  house  was  likewis^rfgojk^  In 
the  days  of  Solomon  there  was  no  silver;  no  account  was 
made  of  it,  because  the  royal  fleet  brought  from  foreign 
countries 2  riches  of  all  kinds ,  and  precious  metals  in  ab- 
undance. Solomon  built  several  new  cities;  he  beautified 
and  strengthened  Jerusalem,  so  that,  with  few  exceptions, 
it  surpassed  all  the  cities  of  that  time  in  beauty  and  splendour. 

And  Solomon  reigned  from  the  Euphrates  to  the  confines 
of  Egypt,  and  he  was  at  peace  with  his  neighbours  on  every 
side,  and  each  man  rested  without  fear  under  his  own  vine 
and  fig-tree.  Kings  from  far  and  near  showed  Solomon  respect3, 
and  sent  him  presents.  The  queen  of  Saba4  came  herself 
from  her  far  distant  land  to  behold  his  magnificence  and 
hear  the  words  of  his  wisdom.  When  she  had  seen  and  heard, 
her  spirit  failed,  and  she  said  to  the  king:  "The  report  is 
true5  which  I  heard  in  my  own  country,   but  I  would  not 


SOLOMON'S  MAGNIFICENCE.— HIS  SAD  END.  297 

believe.  Blessed  are  thy  servants  who  stand  before  thee 
and  hear  thy  wisdom."  Thus  did  Solomon  exceed  all  the 
kings  of  the  earth  in  riches  and  in  wisdom  6. 

1  Or  castle.  —  2  especially  from  India  and  Spain.  —  3  and  desired 
to  see  him.  —  4  in  Arabia.  —  5  what  is  said  about  you.  —  6  Solomon's 
wisdom  is  shown  forth  in  his  written  books,  namely  the  Book  of 
Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes  or  the  Preacher,  and  the  Canticle  of  Canticles. 
These  were  written  under  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  form 
part  of  the  Canon  of  Holy  Scripture.  The  first  of  the  three  contains 
wise  sayings  and  rules  of  life ;  the  second  preaches  the  vanity  of  all 
earthly  things;  and  the  third  sings  of  the  love  of  God. 

But  glorious  as  was  the  beginning  of  Solomon's  reign, 
his  end  was  deplorable.  Solomon  was  far  advanced  in  life 
when  his  heart  was  corrupted  by  strange  women ;  and  that 
king,  hitherto  so  wise,  became  so  blind  and  depraved  that, 
in  order  to  please  these  women,  he  offered  incense  to  false 
gods,  and  built  temples  to  them 7. 

The  Lord,  being  angry,  said  to  Solomon:  "Because  thou 
hast  done  this,  and  hast  not  kept  My  covenant  and  My 
precepts,  which  I  have  commanded  thee,  I  will  divide  and 
rend  thy  kingdom.  Nevertheless,  in  thy  days  I  will  not  do 
it  for  David,  thy  father's,  sake;  neither  will  I  take  away 
the  whole  kingdom8,  but  I  will  give  one  tribe  to  thy  son, 
for  the  sake  of  David,  my  servant,  and  for  the  sake  of 
Jerusalem,  which  I  have  chosen." 

Then  secret  revolt  and  sedition  arose  among  the  people, 
because  Solomon,  blinded  as  he  was,  had  overtaxed  and 
oppressed  the  people,  to  build  palaces  for  the  heathen  women 
who  had  turned  him  away  from  God.  Things  were  in  this 
unhappy  state 9  when  Solomon  died ,  having  reigned  forty 
years;  and  he  who  had  been  a  great  and  powerful  king, 
while  he  walked  in  the  ways  of  David,  his  father,  died  with- 
out honour,  and,  perhaps  without  repentance.  The  sad  end 
of  Solomon  teaches  us  that  as  long  as  we  live  we  are  liable 
to  fall  into  sin,  and  that  hence  we  should  never  lose  sight 
of  the  fear  of  God,  nor  neglect  to  pray  for  perseverance. 
Solomon  in  his  prosperity  is  a  faint  figure  of  Christ  reigning 
gloriously  in  heaven. 

13** 


298  CHAPTER  LX. 

7  Instead  of  converting  his  wives  to  the  true  faith  he  built  pagan 
temples  for  them,  and  even  enforced  the  worship  of  idols.  —  8  I  will 
give  a  part  to  your  subject,  your  servant.  —  9  His  kingdom  was 
crumbling  to  pieces,  for  the  other  tribes  of  Israel  were  jealous  of  Juda ; 
and,  moreover,  several  subjected  nations  were  in  a  state  of  rebellion. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  First  Commandment :  Sins  against  faith.  It  causes  real 
pain  to  read  that  a  man  so  gifted  with  grace  as  Solomon 
could  have  fallen  so  low.  Look  back  and  think  what  he 
was  at  the  dedication  of  the  Temple,  and  how  he  cast  him- 
self on  his  knees  and  prayed  so  beautifully  to  the  ever 
present  God;  and  then  think  of  his  becoming  indifferent 
about  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  of  his  building  temples  to 
the  false  gods  of  his  wives,  and  of  his  tolerating  idolatry! 
It  is  impossible  for  us  to  conceive  that  Solomon  ever  be- 
lieved in  and  worshipped  idols  himself;  but  it  is  certain  that, 
for  the  sake  of  his  heathen  wives,  and  against  his  own  con- 
victions, he  sanctioned  idolatry  and  even  enforced  it!  By 
so  doing  he  denied  his  faith  and  offended  his  people.  Thus 
he  sinned  both  by  being  indifferent  about  the  true  faith  and 
by  denying  it.  * 

Worldliness  and  pride  lead  to  religious  indifference.  But 
how  was  it  possible  that  the  wise  and  devout  Solomon  could 
offend  God  so  grievously?  He  gave  himself  over  to  world- 
liness, led  a  sensual^  Juxurious^^4^n(i  se^  ms  affections 
on  the"  earthly  riches  with  which  God  had  endowed  him. 
His  love  for  God  grew  cold,  his  zeal  for  prayer  and  the 
seryice  of  God  grew  weak,  and  he  became  lax  and  indifferent 
about  religion.  Intercourse  and  friendship^  jvith^the^  Pagan 
kings  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  and  his  own  pagan'wTves  increased 
his  religious  indifference ;  and,  besides  this,  the  universal  ad- 
miration of  which  he  was  the  object  made  him  proud,  so 
that  he  became  less  and  less  worthy  oIN^ivm^grace7'  He 
lost  the  grace  necessary  for  perseverance  in  good,  and  sank 
so  low  that  he  denied  the  true  faith  and   upheld  idolatry! 

Happiness  and  riches  are  dangerous.  Trials  are  wholesome. 
Solomon's  sad  fall  shows  us  how  difficult  it  is  to  fear  God 
and  persevere  in  good,  in  the  midst   of  happiness,  riches, 


SOLOMON'S  MAGNIFICENCE.— HIS  SAD  END.  299 

honours  and  pleasures.  Those  with  whom  everything  goes 
well  love  the  world  and  earthly  possessions,  forget  the  end 
for  which  they  where  made,  cease  to  love  God,  and  often 
lose  belief  in  Him  and  His  revelation.  This  is  why  God,  in 
His  merciful  wisdom,  sends  us  sufferings,  so  as  to  prevent 
our  being  arrogant  and  forgetful  of  God  and  His  holy  Com- 
mandments. These  sufferings  sent  are  real  benefits  to  us, 
and  are  a  proof  of  the  love  which  God  has  for  our  im- 
mortal souls,  and  of  the  desire  He  has  to  draw  us  to  heaven. 
"Whom  the  Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth"  (Hebr.  12,  6). 

Solomon,  the  thirteenth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Solomon  was 
also  a  type  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  in  a  different  way  from  the 
preceding  ones.  While  for  instance,  Abel,  Noe,  Isaac,  Joseph, 
Job,  Moses  and  David  were  typical  of  the  suffering  Redeemer, 
in  Solomon  .we  find  a  type  of  the  glorified  Redeemer.  His 
very  name,  signifying  peace,  presents  him  to  us  as  a  type 
of  Him  who  is  the  true  Prince  of  Peace.  By  his  wonderful 
wisdom,  Solomon  was  a  faint  type  of  Him  "in  whom  are 
hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge "  (Col.  2,  3). 
Likewise,  the  riches  of  Solomon  point  to  the  immeasurable 
riches  of  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Solomon  built  the 
Temple  of  strong  and  well-hewn  stones :  Jesus  Christ  founded 
the  spiritual  temple,  the  Church,  on  the  rock  of  Peter  and 
on  the  Apostles,  making  it  one  united  whole.  The  queen  of 
Saba  came  to  Solomon,  to  testify  her  reverence  for  him,  and 
load  him  with  presents:  to  our  Lord  came  the  three  Magi 
from  the  East  to  adore  Him,  and  offer  Him  costly  gifts. 
Solomon,  seated  in  majesty  on  his  lofty  and  magnificent 
throne,  ruled  over  many  nations.  Jesus  Christ,  raised  on 
the  throne  of  heaven,  and  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God 
the  Father,  rules  with  divine  majesty  over  all  the  nations 
of  the  earth,  and  over  the  whole  host  of  heaven. 

The  conversion  of  Solomon.  Most  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Church 
are  of  opinion  that,  when  troubles  overtook  him  towards  the  close  of 
his  life,  Solomon  was  converted  and  did  penance,  and  thus  was  not 
eternally  lost. 

True  happiness.  Towards  the  end  of  his  life  Solomon  wrote  these 
words  in  the  Book  of  Ecclesiastes :  "  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity. 
I  made   me   great  works,  I  built  me   houses,  and   planted  vineyards 


300  CHAPTER  LX. 

I  made  gardens  and  orchards  and  set  them  with  trees  of  all  kinds. 
I  heaped  together  for  myself  silver  and  gold.  I  made  me  singing 
men  and  singing  women.  I  surpassed  in  riches  all  that  were  before 
me  in  Jerusalem;  my  wisdom  also  remained  with  me.  Whatsoever 
my  eyes  desired,  I  refused  them  not;  and  I  withheld  not  my  heart 
from  enjoying  every  pleasure.  I  saw  in  all  things  vanity  and  vexation 
of  mind.  Fear  God  and  keep  His  Commandments,  for  this  is  all  man." 
By  these  words  he  meant  to  say :  "  All  earthly  possessions  and  joys 
are  passing  and  cannot  make  a  man  really  happy.  Only  the  fear 
and  love  of  God  can  bring  happiness  on  earth  and  joy  in  eternity." 
We  should  not,  therefore,  set  our  hearts  on  the  good  things  of  this 
earth,  but  should  strive  with  all  our  hearts  after  those  which  are  eternal. 
Means  of  perseverance.  He  who  desires  to  avoid  grievous  sin  and 
to  persevere  to  the  end  in  what  is  right  must,  firstly,  refrain  from 
pleasure-seeking  and  laxity;  secondly,  he  must  avoid  all  intercourse 
with  bad  companions;  thirdly,  he  must  be  humble  and  pray  to  God 
for  the  grace  of  final  perseverance,  for  this  most  important  of  all 
graces  can  only  be  obtained  by  prayer. 

III.  Application. 

Solomon  served  God  for  many  years  and  received  the  gift 
of  wisdom  from  Him ;  and  yet  how  deeply  he  fell ! 

Do  you  desire  to  stand  fast  in  what  is  right  ?  Then  mistrust 
yourself,  and  be  watchful.  "Watch  and  pray  that  you  enter 
not  into  temptation."  Pray  often  for  the  grace  of  per- 
severance. 


THIRD  EPOCH. 


DECLINE  OF  THE  PEOPLE  OF  ISRAEL.  FROM 
THE  TIME  OF  ROBOAM  TO  JESUS  CHRIST 

(962  B.  C). 


Chapter  LXI. 
DIVISION  OF  THE  KINGDOM. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  the  death  of  Solomon ,  all  the  people  *  of  Israel 
came  to  Roboam,  his  son,  and  said:  "Thy  father  laid 
a  grievous  yoke2  upon  us,  do  thou  take  off  a  little  of  his 
most  heavy  yoke ,  and  we  will  serve  thee."  Roboam  told 
them  to  come  back  on  the  third  day,  and  he  would  give  them 
his  answer.  He  then  took  counsel  with  the  ancients  of  the 
people  who  had  stood  before  Solomon,  his  father,  as  to  what 
course  he  should  pursue. 

The  ancients  advised  the  king,  saying :  "If  thou  wilt  yield 
to  this  people  and  speak  gentle  words  to  them,  they  will 
be  thy  servants  always."  3  Roboam,  not  satisfied  with  this 
advice  of  the  old  men,  betook  himself  to  the  young  men 
who  were  his  own  companions,  and  asked  what  they  would 
counsel  him  to  do. 

The  young  men  who  had  been  brought  up  with  him,  said : 
"Thus  shalt  thou  speak  to  this  people:  My  father  put  a 
heavy  yoke  upon  you,  but  I  will  add  to  your  yoke;  my 
father  beat  you  with  whips,  but  I  will  beat  you  with  scor- 
pions." i  When  the  people  had  returned  on  the  third  day 
for  an  answer,  Roboam  spoke  to  them  as  the  young  men 
had  advised.    Then  the  people,  seeing  that  they  had  nothing 


302  CHAPTER  LXI. 

to  expect  from  their  new  king,  began  to  say  among  them- 
selves that  Roboam  was  nothing  to  them. 

1  The  representatives  of  all  Israel.  They  had  assembled  themselves 
at  Sichem,  where  Roboam  went  to  receive  their  homage.  —  2  heavy 
taxes.  —  3  They  will  obey  you  as  loyal  subjects.  —  4  The  scourges 
generally  used  were  made  of  leather,  but,  sometimes,  to  inflict  a  more 
severe  punishment,  thorns  and  spikes  were  twisted  in  with  the  leather, 
and  such  spiked  scourges  were  known  by  the  name  of  scorpions. 
Roboam  wished  to  say:  "I  will  be  even  harder  to  you  than  my 
father  was."  The  arrogant  young  king  wished  to  bend  and  intimidate 
his  subjects  by  this  senseless  threat. 

And  ten  of  the  tribes,  throwing  off  his  authority,  chose 
for  their  king,  Jeroboam,  who  had  been  a  servant5  of  So- 
lomon. Only  the  two  tribes  of  Juda  and  Benjamin  remained 
with  Roboam.  From  that  day  forth  the  people  of  Israel 
were  divided  into  two  kingdoms,  that  of  Juda 6  and  that  of 
Israel 7. 

Jerusalem  continued  to  be  the  capital  of  Juda,  and  Samaria 
became  afterwards  the  capital  of  Israel.  But  the  effects  of 
the  separations  went  still  further;  for  Jeroboam,  king  of 
Israel,  thought  within  himself,  that  if  the  people  continued 
to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  to  offer  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  in  His 
Temple,  their  hearts  would  turn  again  to  Roboam,  and  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  would  surely  return  to  the  house  of  David. 

To  avoid  this  danger  he  made  two  golden  calves,  which 
he  placed  at  the  two  extremities  of  his  kingdom,  one  at  Dan  8, 
and  the  other  at  Bethel9,  and  told  the  people  that  they 
should  not  go  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship,  for  that  these 
were  the  gods  which  had  brought  them  out  of  Egypt.  In 
this  way  he  led  the  people  into  idolatry 10,  for  they  repaired 
to  the  places  pointed  out  to  them  by  their  king,  and  wor- 
shipped the  golden  calves. 

On  the  other  hand,  Roboam,  king  of  Juda,  who  had  seen 
with  grief  the  defection  of  the  ten  tribes,  was  all  his  life 
making  war  on  Jeroboam.  This  state  of  continued  warfare 
was  kept  up  by  their  successors  on  both  sides,  and  more 
than  once  the  aid  of  foreign  nations  was  called  in  by  one 
or  the  other.  In  this  way  did  these  wicked  kings  cause  much 
sin  and  misery  among  their  people. 


DIVISION  OF  THE  KINGDOM.  303 

Even  the  kings  of  Juda  soon  fell  into  idolatry,  and  the 
people,  following  their  example,  forgot  the  worship  of  the 
true  God,  and  gave  themselves  up  to  all  manner  of  wicked- 
ness. All  this  sin,  ruin  and  misery  were  partly  the  effects 
of  Solomon's  departure  from  the  ways  of  justice:  terrible 
example  of  the  ruin  that  sin  brings  on  those  who  commit 
it,  and  even  on  their  children  after  them. 

5  He  had  been  appointed  by  Solomon  to  be  tax-gatherer  of  the 
tribe  of  Ephraim.  —  c  To  these  two  tribes  the  Levites  joined  them- 
selves, as  also  many  members  of  the  other  tribes  who  adhered  to 
the  worship  of  the  true  God  at  Jerusalem.  The  two  kingdoms  were 
about  equal  in  strength,  for  Juda  (to  which  was  attached  the  tribe 
of  Benjamin)  was  the  most  numerous  and  powerful  of  all  the  tribes ; 
though  as  far  as  extent  of  territory  went,  the  northern  kingdom, 
Israel,  was  superior  to  the  southern,  or  kingdom  of  Juda.  —  7  The 
whole  united  kingdom  had  hitherto  been  known  by  the  name  of 
Israel,  but  from  henceforward  only  the  ten  tribes  are  to  be  understood 
by  the  name.  —  8  See  map,  east  of  Tyre.  —  9  See  map,  north  of 
Jerusalem.  —  10  He  acted  thus  from  a  false  policy,  for  he  said  to 
himself:  If  the  people  go  to  Jerusalem  to  offer  sacrifice  in  the  Temple, 
and  thus  maintain  a  spiritual  union  with  Juda,  they  will,  before  long, 
be  wishing  for  a  national  union,  and   separate  themselves   from   me. 

The  kingdom  of  Israel  lasted  for  253  years  (from  975  to  722  B.  C), 
and  during  that  time  it  had  nineteen  kings,  belonging  to  ten  different 
families,  who  all  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  God. 

The  kingdom  of  Juda  lasted  387  years,  till  the  year  588  B.  C. 
It  had  twenty  kings,  all  of  the  family  of  David,  of  whom  the  greater 
number  were  wicked. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Faithfulness  of  God.  See  how  the  punishment  which, 
as  you  learnt  in  Chapt.  LX,  was  threatened,  was  now  brought 
to  pass!  Roboam's  arrogance  led  to  the  accomplishment  of 
God's  designs,  by  alienating  the  ten  tribes.  It  was  not  that 
God  willed  the  sin ,  but  that  He  permitted  it,  in  order  that 
Solomon's  faithlessness  should  be  punished  as  He  had  said. 

Arrogance  and  flattery.  Roboam's  conduct  towards  his  sub- 
jects was  very  unwise,  for  it  was  his  harsh  answer  to  their 
appeal  which  drove  them  into  rebellion.  How  could  Roboam, 
the  son  of  the  wise  Solomon,  commit  such  a  folly  ?  He  spoke 
and  acted  thus  foolishly,  firstly,  because  he  was  blinded  by 


304  CHAPTER  LXI. 

pride;  secondly,  because  he  would  not  take  the  advice  of 
the  wise,  but  followed,  instead,  that  of  his  young  companions, 
who  took  care  to  flatter  his  pride.  You  can  see  by  this  how 
blind  passion  makes  a  man,  and  how  disastrous  it  is  to  listen 
to  the  voice  of  unscrupulous  flatterers.  "  He  that  walketh  with 
the  wise,  shall  be  wise:  a  friend  of  fools  shall  become  like 
them"  (Prov.  13,  20). 

Gentleness.  If  Roboam  had  returned  a  soft,  friendly  answer 
to  the  people,  he  would  have  conciliated  them  and  all  the 
twelve  tribes  would  have  acknowledged  him  as  king.  "A  mild 
answer  breaketh  wrath:  but  a  harsh  word  stirreth  up  fury" 
(Prov.  15,  1).     "Blessed  are  the  meek." 

Rebellion.  The  ten  tribes  sinned  by  rebelling;  and  their 
sin  was  all  the  greater,  because  their  defection  from  the 
house  of  David  implied  a  defection  from  the  future  Messias, 
and  a  renunciation  of  the  promises  of  God. 

Partaking  in  the  guilt  of  others.  His  young  advisers  shared 
in  the  guilt  of  Roboam's  sin,  and  in  its  evil  consequences, 
by  urging  him  to  a  hard  and  cruel  course  of  action.  Jero- 
boam committed  a  terrible  sin  when  he  incited  the  people 
to  idolatry,  and  induced  them  to  apostatize  from  the  true 
God.  God  punished  him  by  the  overthrow  of  his  whole  fa- 
mily. Jeroboam's  son,  Nadab,  only  reigned  two  years.  Then 
a  rebellion  against  him  broke  out,  and  the  whole  house  of 
Jeroboam  was  destroyed. 

III.  Application. 

Are  you  fond  of  being  with  giddy  companions?  Do  you 
follow  their  advice  in  preference  to  the  injunctions  and  ex- 
hortations of  your  parents  and  superiors  ?  Do  you  listen  to 
the  voice  of  your  passions  rather  than  to  that  of  your  con- 
science? Roboam  lost  the  largest  part  of  his  kingdom,  be- 
cause he  listened  to  the  unprincipled  advice  of  flatterers.  So, 
if  you  like  the  company  of  those  who  are  unprincipled,  you 
will  lose  both  faith  and  innocence,  which  are  more  valuable 
than  a  whole  kingdom.    Therefore  avoid  bad  companions. 


GOD  RAISES  UP  PROPHETS.— THE  PROPHET  ELIAS.       305 

DECLINE  OF  THE  KINGDOM  OF  ISRAEL. 


Chapter  LXII. 

GOD  RAISES  UP  PROPHETS.— MISSION  OF  THE 
PROPHET  ELIAS. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

IN  order  to  bring  back  the  kings  and  the  people  to  better 
sentiments,  God  raised  up,  at  different  times,  holy  per- 
sons who  are  known  as  prophets 1.  These  prophets  preached 
penance  in  a  very  impressive  manner,  and  they  proved  the 
truth  of  their  divine  mission  by  working  great  miracles. 

God  revealed  to  them  many  future  events.  They  predicted 
the  principal  circumstances  of  the  birth,  life,  passion,  death 
and  glory  of  the  Messias.  One  of  the  most  celebrated  of  the 
prophets  was  Elias.  He  lived  in  the  reign  of  Achab,  king 
of  Israel.  This  king  was  very  wicked.  None  of  his  prede- 
cessors had  committed  so  many  crimes  as  he. 

He  had  married  a  gentile  woman  named  Jezabel ;  and  he 
had  built  a  temple  to  Baal,  and  had  consecrated  to  the  ser- 
vice of  that  false  god  four  hundred  and  fifty  priests  2,  whilst 
he  had  caused  the  priests  of  the  Lord  to  be  put  to  death. 
In  a  word ,  his  intention  seemed  to  be  to  destroy  the  true 
religion  entirely  among  the  ten  tribes. 

Elias,  clad  in  a  rough  sheep's  skin,  and  with  a  staff  in 
his  hand,  presented  himself  before  Achab  and  said:  "As  the 
Lord  liveth,  the  God  of  Israel,  in  whose  sight  I  stand,  there 
shall  not  be  dew  nor  rain  these  three  years,  but  according 
to  the  words  of  my  mouth."  Achab  was  very  angry  to  hear 
these  words  of  the  prophet,  and  secretly  resolved  to  put  Elias 
to  death. 

Then  the  Lord,  knowing  the  evil  intention  of  the  king, 
commanded  Elias  to  go  and  conceal  himself  near  the  brook 
Carith  3,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Jordan.  The  prophet  obeyed, 
and  behold,  the  ravens  brought  him  bread  or  flesh  4  every 
morning  and  every  evening  for  many  days;  and  he  drank 
of  the  torrent. 


306  CHAPTER  LXII. 

1  They  led  a  life  of  penance,  wore  coarse  clothing,  prayed  and 
fasted.  They  were  sent  by  God  to  maintain  the  true  faith  and  the 
observance  of  His  Commandments,  and  to  bring  back  the  people  to 
Him.  They  announced  the  judgments  which  would  fall  on  king  and 
people  if  they  were  not  converted,  and  they  pointed  onwards  to  the 
hope  of  Israel,  the  Redeemer,  foretelling  many  things  about  Him.  It 
was  on  account  of  these  prophecies  that  they  were  called  prophets.  — 
2  Achab  reigned  from  923  to  902  B.  C.  Jezabel  was  daughter  to  the 
king  of  Sidon.  At  her  request  Achab  built  in  Samaria  a  temple  to 
the  sun-god  Baal;  and,  besides  the  worship  of  calves,  introduced  the 
horrible  worship  of  Baal  and  of  Moloch,  to  whom  children  were  offered 
up  in  sacrifice.  Added  to  this  he  killed  the  priests  of  God.  Thus, 
there  was  every  fear  that  the  true  faith  would  be  entirely  eradicated. 
For  this  cause  God  raised  up  the  prophet  Elias,  that  through  him  the 
true  faith  might  be  preserved  in  Israel.  —  3  This  brook  flows  into 
the  Jordan  from  the  east,  through  a  country  full  of  forests  and 
caverns.  Here  Elias  could  easily  hide  himself,  even  if  the  king 
searched  the  whole  country  through  for  him.  —  4  From  whence  did 
they  get  this  food?  The  Lord  Who  commanded  them  to  bring  it 
provided  for  that  (St.  Augustine). 

Some  time  after,  the  brook  ran  dry 5,  and  the  Lord  com- 
manded Elias  to  go  to  Sarepta  6,  a  city  of  Sidon.  Elias  went 
accordingly,  and  when  he  drew  near  the  gate  of  the  city, 
he  saw  a  woman  gathering  sticks7,  and  he  called  her  and 
said:  "Give  me  a  little  water  in  a  vessel  that  I  may  drink." 

As  the  woman  was  going  to  fetch  it  he  called  after  her: 
"Bring  me  also  a  morsel  of  bread."  She  answered:  "As 
the  Lord  thy  God  8  liveth,  I  have  no  bread,  but  only  a  hand- 
ful of  meal  in  a  pot,  and  a  little  oil  in  a  cruse;  I  am 
gathering  two  sticks  that  I  may  go  and  dress  it  for  me 
and  my  son,  that  we  may  eat  it  and  die."  9 

The  prophet  assured  her,  saying:  "Fear  not,  but  go  and 
do  as  thou  hast  said;  but  first  make  for  me  of  the  same 
meal  a  little  hearth-cake.  For  thus  saith  the  Lord:  'The 
pot  of  meal  shall  not  waste ,  nor  the  cruse  of  oil  be  di- 
minished until  the  day  wherein  the  Lord  will  give  rain  upon 
the  earth.'"10 

The  woman  did  as  Elias  had  told  her,  and  from  that  day 
forth  she  had  meal  in  her  pot,  and  oil  in  her  cruse,  and  knew 
no  want,  neither  Elias,  nor  she,  nor  her  son.  Now,  it 
happened  some  time  after,  that  the  son  of  this  poor  woman  of 


GOD  RAISES  UP  PROPHETS.— THE  PROPHET  ELTAS.      307 


Sarepta  fell  sick  and  died.  She  said  to  the  prophet:  "What 
have  I  done  to  thee,  thou  man  of  God  ?  Hast  thou  come  to 
me  that  my  iniquities  should  be  remembered?"  Thereupon 
Elias  took  the  child,  and  went  into  the  upper  chamber,  and  laid 
it  upon  his  own  bed.   Then  he  cried  dl  to  the  Lord:  "0  Lord, 

hast  Thou  also  afflicted  the 
widow  with  whom  I  am 
after  a  sort  maintained?" 
Then  he  stretched  him- 
self and  measured  himself 
three  times  upon  the  child ; 
and  the  soul  of  the  boy 
returned  and  he  revived. 
Elias  took  the  child  and 
brought  him  down  to  his 
mother,  and  said:  "Be- 
hold, thy  son  liveth."  Full 
of  joy  and  gratitude,  the 
woman  exclaimed:  "Now  by  this  I  know  that  thou  art  a  man 
of  God,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  in  thy  mouth  is  true."  12 
Elias,  the  grown  man,  stretching  himself  and  measuring 
himself  upon  the  small  body  of  the  dead  child,  is  a  figure 
of  the  Incarnation,  in  which  the  Son  of  God  so  adapted 
Himself  to  our  human  nature  as  to  become  Man  without 
ceasing  to  be  God. 

5  Because  no  rain  had  fallen  for  a  long  time.  —  6  See  map :  between 
Tyre  and  Sidon.  —  7  because  she  was  poor.  —  8  She  recognised  Elias 
to  be  an  Israelite,  and  swore  by  the  living  God ;  for  she  believed  in 
Him,  though  she  was  living  in  the  midst  of  the  pagan  Sidonians.  — 
9  of  hunger.  —  ,0  By  acting  thus  Elias  put  the  faith  and  charity  of 
the  widow  to  a  very  severe  test.  —  u  or  prayed  instantly.  —  12  that 
you  are  a  prophet  of  God,  and  that  He  has  revealed  His  will  to  you, 
proclaiming  it  through  your  mouth. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Mercy  of  God.  Of  His  mercy  He  did  not  entirely 
reject  the  faithless  Israelites,  but  sent  His  prophets  to  them 
from  time  to  time  to  give  them  a  chance  of  repentance  and 
pardon. 


308  CHAPTER  LXIL 

The  Omniscience  of  God.  The  prophets  were  inspired  by 
God,  or  else  they  would  not  have  been  able  to  foretell  the 
future.  The  future  is  known  only  to  God,  with  Whom  times 
and  seasons  are  as  nothing. 

The  Omnipresence  of  God.  "As  the  Lord  liveth  in  whose 
sight  I  stand,"  said  Elias  to  Achab.  Wherever  we  are  or 
go,  God  is  with  us.  Elias  lived  in  the  constant  recollection 
of  God's  presence,  and  this  it  was  that  gave  him  courage 
and  consolation  under  persecution,  and  when  in  danger  of 
death.  He  did  not  feel  himself  deserted  even  in  the  cave 
of  Carith,  because  God  was  with  him. 

The  Omnipotence  of  God.  Winds  and  clouds,  dew  and  rain 
obey  him,  and  by  His  command  a  terrible  drought  pervaded 
Israel  for  three  years  and  a  half.  The  unreasoning  ravens  did 
His  will,  and  twice  each  day  brought  food  to  the  prophet 
of  God.  "The  most  ravenous  of  birds,"  says  St.  Basil,  "were 
compelled  to  supply  the  prophet  with  food ;  and  they,  whose 
nature  it  was  to  seize  the  food  of  others,  waited  on  the 
man  of  God.  Completely  forgetful  of  their  nature,  they 
obeyed  the  divine  behest."  It  was  by  God's  almighty  will 
that  the  meal  in  the  widow's  pot  and  the  oil  in  her  cruse 
remained  undiminished.  And  He  who  is  Lord  of  life  and 
death  called  the  widow's  son  back  to  life,  commanding  his 
soul  to  return  to  his  dead  body. 

The  Goodness  of  God.  God  lovingly  provided  for  the  safety 
of  His  persecuted  servant,  hid  him  from  Achab's  bloodthirsty 
emissaries,  and  fed  him  by  a  continuous  miracle  in  the  desert. 
He  protected  him  on  his  perilous  journey  to  Sarepta,  increased 
the  meal  and  oil,  by  a  miracle,  for  the  sustenance  of  himself  and 
the  widow,  and  called  the  poor  woman's  dead  son  back  to  life. 

Justice  and  Mercy.  The  long  drought  which  was  sent  by 
God  at  the  prayer  of  Elias  (James  5,  17  &c),  was  a  miracle 
both  of  divine  justice  and  of  divine  mercy.  On  the  one  hand, 
it  most  justly  punished  the  idolatrous  king  and  people;  on 
the  other  hand,  it  proved  to  the  Israelites  that  the  fruits 
of  the  earth  did  not  come  from  Baal,  but  from  God,  Who 
is  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth.  The  famine  was  sent  to 
them  as  a  means  of  inducing  them  to  return  to  the  true  faith. 


GOD  RAISES  UP  PROPHETS.— THE  PROPHET  ELIAS.      309 

Confidence  in  God.  Elias  showed  admirable  courage  by 
fearlessly  announcing  the  impending  judgment.  The  prophet 
drew  his  courage  from  his  great  confidence  in  God,  giving 
himself  over  entirely  to  His  gracious  guidance.  When  the 
brook  dried  up  he  gave  way  neither  to  fear  nor  lamentation. 
He  did  not  say:  "Now  I  must  die  of  thirst,"  but,  on  the 
contrary,  he  said  to  himself:  "God  will  help  me."  When 
he  was  sent  to  the  poor  widow  of  Sarepta,  a  town  in  the 
kingdom  of  Sidon,  he  might  naturally  have  thought:  "Why 
am  I  to  go  among  Jezabel's  people?  Are  they  not  sure 
to  kill  me  ?  And  why  am  I  to  go  to  a  poor  widow  ?  How 
can  she  support  me  ?  Why  should  I  not  seek  hospitality  of 
some  rich  person?"  But  the  holy  man  of  God  gave  ear  to 
no  such  doubts,  and  obeyed  God's  commands  with  simplicity 
and  confidence.  It  is  in  this  way  that  we  ought  always  to 
trust  in  God. 

Faith.  Achab  and  his  people  would  not  believe  Elias 
when  he  foretold  the  coming  drought.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  gentile  did  believe  the  promise  which  he  made  to  her 
in  God's  name.  To  find  faith  the  prophet  of  God  had  to  go 
into  a  heathen  country.  It  was  hard  for  the  widow,  herself 
dying  of  hunger,  to  be  told  to  divide  her  last  morsel  of 
food  with  the  prophet ;  but  she  did  so,  because  she  believed, 
and  obeyed  a  secret  inspiration  of  God;  and  God  rewarded 
her  faith  and  charity  by  miraculously  increasing  her  meal 
and  oil,  by  restoring  her  dead  son  to  life,  and  by  confirming 
her  in  the  true  faith.  Works  of  mercy  draw  down  on  us 
the  grace  of  God. 

The  power  of  prayer.  At  Elias's  prayer  the  heavens  were 
shut,  so  that  no  rain  fell  for  a  long  time.  By  prayer  he 
raised  the  dead  boy  to  life.  At  the  brook  Carith  he  spent 
his  days  in  prayer  and  contemplation.  His  prayer  was  effi- 
cacious ,  firstly ,  because  he  prayed  with  devotion ,  humility 
and  confidence;  and,  secondly,  because  he  was  a  just  man, 
lived  in  the  grace  of  God,  and  avoided  sin. 

The  soul  is  the  life  of  the  body  (Chapt.  III).  As  soon  as 
the  soul  is  separated  from  the  body  the  latter  dies;  and  if 
the  dead  body  is  to  be  restored  to  life,  the  soul  must  return 


310  CHAPTER  LXIII. 

to  it.     It  was  thus  therefore  that  Elias  prayed:   "Let  the 
soul  &c." 

The  raising  of  the  widoiv's  son  by  Elias  is,  according  to  St.  Augustine, 
a  type  of  the  spiritual  resurrection  of  the  sinful  world  through  Christ. 
The  world  lay  dead  in  sin ;  but  Jesus  Christ  has  raised  it  up  by  His 
intercession  and  His  Death  on  the  cross. 

As  Elias  stretched  himself  three  times  on  the  body  of  the  boy, 
breathing  on  his  face;  so,  when  administering  holy  Baptism,  the  priest 
bows  himself  three  times  over  the  person  to  be  baptized,  and  breathes 
upon  him,  as  a  sign  that  by  sanctifying  grace  the  soul  is  raised  to 
a  supernatural  state  of  life. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  pray  willingly  and  devoutly?  He  who  wishes  to 
pray  well  must  accustom  himself  to  pray  diligently.  Each 
time  you  pray,  place  yourself  in  the  presence  of  God  and 
say:  "Lord,  help  me  to  pray." 

Could  you  not  sometimes  give  an  alms,  or  do  some  service 
of  love  to  your  fellow  men ;  either  to  your  comrades,  or  to 
some  sick  or  poor  person?  Make  a  resolution  to  do  some- 
thing of  the  sort  to-day. 

Chapter  LXIII. 
THE  SACRIFICE  OF  ELIAS. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  the  earth  had  remained  three  years  and  six  months 
without  rain  or  dew1,  the  Lord  spoke  to  Elias:  "Go 
and  show  thyself  to  Achab,  that  I  may  give  rain  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth."  The  prophet  obeyed.  When  Achab  saw 
him,  he  said:  "Art  thou  he  that  troublest  Israel?"  The  pro- 
phet answered:  "I  have  not  troubled  Israel,  but  thou  and 
thy  father's  house,  who  have  forsaken  the  Commandments 
of  the  Lord  and  followed  Baalim.  Nevertheless,  send  now 
and  gather  unto  me  all  Israel  unto  Mount  Carmel 2,  and 
the  prophets  of  Baal,  four  hundred  and  fifty,  and  the 
prophets  of  the  groves,  four  hundred." 

Achab  obeyed,  being  afraid  to  do  otherwise,  on  account  of 
the  famine  that  was  everywhere,  and  he  went  himself  to  the 
mountain  3.  Then  Elias  spoke  to  the  people  of  Israel,  saying: 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  ELIAS.  311 

"How  long  do  you  halt  between  two   sides4.     If  the  Lord 
be  God5,  follow  Him;  but  is  Baal,  then  follow  him." 

The  people,  feeling  the  justice  of  his  reproach,  made  no 
answer 6.  They  were  ashamed  and  afraid.  Elias  then  added : 
"I  only  remain  a  prophet  of  the  Lord,  but  the  prophets  of 
Baal  are  four  hundred  and  fifty  men.  Let  two  bullocks  be 
given  us;  and  let  them  choose  one  bullock  for  themselves, 
and  cut  it  in  pieces,  but  put  no  fire  under ;  and  I  will  dress 
the  other  bullock,  and  lay  it  on  wood,  and  put  no  fire  under 
it.  Call  ye  on  the  names  of  your  gods,  and  I  will  call  on 
the  name  of  my  Lord;  and  the  God  that  shall  answer  by 
fire,  let  him  be  the  God."  All  the  people  answered:  "A  very 
good  proposal". 

1  During  these  three  years  and  a  half  nothing  could  grow,  so  that 
both  men  and  beasts  were  in  a  state  of  great  want.  Many  died,  for 
the  necessaries  of  life,  brought  in  from  other  countries,  cost  a  great 
deal.  In  the  third  year  of  the  famine  Achab  said  to  the  governor  of 
his  house:  "Go  into  the  land  unto  all  fountains  of  water,  and  into 
all  valleys,  to  see  if  we  can  find  grass  and  save  the  horses  and 
mules,  that  the  beasts  may  not  utterly  perish"  (3  Kings  18,  5).  By 
this  we  can  see  how  great  the  want  was.  Trees  were  withered, 
meadows  burnt  up,  gardens  and  fields  bare.  Nothing  green  was  to 
be  seen,  and    the  parched  earth  cried  out  for  the  life-giving  rain.  — 

2  Mount  Carmel  is  situated  to  the  north  of  Samaria,  projecting  into 
the  Mediterranean,  where  it  terminates  in  Cape  Carmel  (see  map). 
The  sacrifice  of  Elias  took  place  on  one  of  the  heights  of  the  chain. 
There  stands,  not   far  from   the  sea,  a  famous  Carmelite  Monastery. 

3  He  accepted  the  man  of  God's  proposal,  being  forced  thereto  by 
the  need  of  his  subjects.  —  4  i.  e.  why  do  you  waver  to  and  fro 
between  God  and  Baal.  They  wished  to  serve  two  masters,  God  and 
Baal;  and  for  this  reason  Elias  bade  them  come  to  a  decision.  — 
5  Jehovah,  Whom  your  fathers  worshipped.  —  6  because,  on  the  one 
hand,  they  could  not  excuse  themselves,  and,  on  the  other,  they  did 
not  wish  to  sever  themselves  from  the  worship  of  Baal,  and  the 
pleasures  accompanying  it. 

Then  the  priests  of  Baal,  clad  in  their  richest  garments 
and  crowned  with  laurel,  took  an  ox  and  slew  him.  They 
erected  an  altar,  placed  the  dead  ox  upon  it,  and  danced 
around  it  crying  out:  "Baal,  hear  us."  This  they  did  from 
morning  until  noon,  but  no  fire  came  to  consume  their  sacri- 
fice.    Then  Elias,   mocking  them,  called  out:    "Cry  with  a 


312  CHAPTER  LXITI. 

louder  voice;  for  he  is  a  god,  and  perhaps  he  is  talking 
with  some  one,  or  on  a  journey,  or  he  is  asleep  and  must 
be  awaked." 

Then  they  began  to  cry  louder  than  ever  7,  hacking  their 
bodies  with  knives8,  as  they  were  accustomed  to  do,  until 
they  were  covered  with  blood.  This  they  kept  up  till  evening, 
but  all  in  vain9.  Then  Elias  told  the  people  to  come  to  him. 
And  he  erected  an  altar  to  the  Lord ;  took  twelve  stones 10, 
and  laid  the  wood  in  order  upon  them,  then  placed  the  ox 
which  had  been  cut  in  pieces,  on  the  wood. 

He  then  poured  water  upon  the  victim  till  it  ran  down  on 
every  side  and  filled  the  trench  around  the  altar11.  This 
being  done,  he  said:  "0  Lord  God,  show  this  day  that 
Thou  art  the  God  of  Israel,  and  I  Thy  servant,  and  that 
according  to  Thy  commandment  I  have  done  all  these  things. 
Hear  me,  0  Lord,  hear  me ;  that  this  Thy  people  may  learn 
that  Thou  art  the  Lord  God,  and  that  Thou  hast  turned 
their  hearts  again."12 

That  instant  fire  came  down  from  heaven  and  consumed 
the  holocaust,  the  wood,  the  stones,  and  the  water  in  the 
trench.  The  people,  having  witnessed  this  prodigy,  fell  on 
their  faces13,  exclaiming:  " The  Lord  He  is  God!  The  Lord 
He  is  God!"  And  the  prophet,  retiring  from  the  multitude, 
went  up  alone  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  where  he  pro- 
strated himself  before  the  Lord  in  praise  and  thanksgiving. 

Then  he  besought  the  Lord  to  refresh  the  earth  with 
water.  And  behold ,  a  little  cloud  arose  from  the  sea ,  no 
bigger  than  the  foot  of  a  man,  and  it  spread  itself  gradually 
over  the  heavens,  and  rain  fell  in  abundance.  The  land  of 
Israel,  suffering  from  the  long  drought,  was  a  figure  of  the 
great  spiritual  drought  from  which  the  whole  world  suffered 
before  the  coming  of  Christ.  Elias  bidding  the  heavens  to 
rain  was  a  figure  of  Christ  opening  the  fountains  of  grace 
to  a  perishing  world.  The  rain  itself  which  gave  a  new  life 
to  the  earth,  is  a  type  of  the  grace  of  God  which  renews 
the  soul  of  the  converted  sinner. 

7  They  did  not  notice  the    scorn   contained  in  the  words  of  Elias, 
for   they  really  believed   that   their    god   slept   and   travelled   like1  a 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  ELIAS. 


313 


man.  —  8  They  cut  themselves  till  the  blood  flowed,  in  the  hope 
that  this  would  persuade  Baal  to  listen  to  them.  —  9  Why  ?  Because 
Baal  was  the  creation  of  their  fancy.  The  absurdity  of  idolatry  was 
now  made  manifest.  —  10  Why  twelve?  Because  they  represented 
the  twelve  tribes  of  which  the  chosen  people  consisted.  —  n  He  did 
this  to  prove  that  the  fire  was  due  to  no  natural  causes.  —  I2  Think 
how  anxiously  the  king,  the  false  priests,  and  the  people  must  have 
watched  to  see  what  would  be  the  result  of  Elias's  prayer.  All  in  a 
moment  a  fire  fell  from  heaven  which  consumed  the  very  stones! 
It  fell  from  a  cloudless  sky,  for  not  even  the  smallest  cloud  was 
to  be  seen,  as  we  know  by  the  conclusion  of  the  story.  —  13  They  had 
been  convinced  of  the  impotence  of  Baal  and  of  the  omnipotence  of 
God.  Therefore,  they  fell  on  their  faces  and  worshipped  the  Almighty. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  object  of  miracles.  The  extraordinary  drought,  lasting 
for  three  years  and  a  half,  was  the  effect  of  God's  interrupting 
by  a  miracle  the  law,  which  He  Himself  gave  to  nature.  The 
drought  was  sent  both  as  a  punishment  to  Achab  and  the 
people  for  their  idolatry,  and  as  a  means  of  their  conversion. 
The  silence,  however,  of  the  people,  when  Elias  demanded  of 
them  a  confession  of  faith,  shows  that  pagan  opinions  were 

Knecht,  Commentary.    L  14 


814  CHAPTER  LXII1. 

still  dominant  among  them.  The  priests  of  the  true  God  had 
been  killed,  so  that  there  was  no  one  to  teach  the  truth  to 
the  poor  people ;  and  the  priests  of  Baal,  whom  the  king  up- 
held, taught  them  that  the  famine  had  been  sent  by  Baal 
as  a  punishment  for  their  lack  of  stanchness  in  the  pagan 
belief.  But  God,  in  His  mercy,  worked  new  and  startling 
miracles  to  convince  the  deluded  people  of  the  folly  of  ido- 
latry, and  to  help  them  to  return  to  the  true  faith.  It  was 
in  the  presence  of  them  all  that  He  rained  down  this  wonderful 
fire  from  a  cloudless  sky,  which  consumed  even  the  wet 
stones  of  the  altar.  As  soon  as  the  people,  overwhelmed  by 
the  stupendous  miracle,  fell  on  their  faces  and  adored  Him, 
confessing  aloud  their  faith  in  Him,  He  sent  the  wished  for 
rain,  so  that  all  men  might  know  that  the  drought  had  come 
from  Him,  and  that  from  Him  came  now  help  and  salvation. 
But  it  was  also  for  our  benefit  and  instruction  that  this  great 
miracle  was  wrought,  in  order  that  none  of  us  may  waver 
in  our  faith  in  the  merciful,  just  and  almighty  God.  It  teaches 
us  that  God  is  the  Lord  of  all  the  universe,  that  all  the 
powers  of  nature,  rain  and  drought,  dews  and  clouds,  obey 
Him.  We  may  sow  and  plant,  but  the  increase  comes  from  God. 

Firm  faith.  Like  a  very  rock  of  faith  and  confidence,  Elias 
confronted  the  wavering  multitude,  the  unbelieving  king  and 
the  frantic  idolatrous  priests.  He  reproached  the  people  for 
their  indecision ;  he  mocked  the  insane  superstitions  and  vain 
efforts  of  the  priests  of  Baal,  and  never  doubted  for  one 
instant  that  God  would  hear  his  prayer  and  confound  his 
enemies. 

Fortitude.  Achab  hated  Elias,  and  his  hatred  was  increased 
by  the  long  drought  which  he  attributed  to  the  prophet. 
Elias  knew  of  the  hatred  borne  him  by  the  king ;  nevertheless, 
at  the  Lord's  bidding,  he  fearlessly  confronted  him.  He  showed 
equal  fortitude  when  he  challenged  the  priests  of  Baal  in 
the  face  of  all  the  people.  If  God  had  not  heard  his  prayer 
and  sent  fire  from  heaven,  he  would  most  certainly  have  been 
killed ;  but  his  ardent  faith  and  zeal  for  God's  glory  induced 
him  to  risk  his  life  in  the  hope  of  bringing  back  the  people 
from  their  sad  defection. 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  ELIAS.  315 

The  power  of  prayer.  It  was  at  the  prayer  of  Elias  that 
God  worked  the  wonderful  miracle  which  has  been  described. 
For  this  reason  St.  James  cites  the  prayer  of  Elias  as  an 
example  to  urge  us  to  have  great  confidence  in  prayer.  He 
says  (5,  16.  18):  "  The  continual  prayer  of  a  just  man  availeth 
much.  Elias  was  a  man  passable  like  unto  us:  and  with 
prayer  he  prayed  that  it  might  not  rain  upon  the  earth,  and 
it  rained  not  for  three  years  and  six  months.  And  he  prayed 
again:  and  the  heaven  gave  rain,  and  the  earth  brought 
forth  her  fruit." 

Half-heartedness  and  indecision.  The  reproach  made  by  Elias 
to  the  people  for  their  wavering  and  indecision  applies  equally  to 
many  Christians,  who  hesitate  between  virtue  and  vice,  the  spirit 
of  Christ  and  the  spirit  of  the  world,  the  service  of  God  and 
the  service  of  the  devil,  although  in  holy  Baptism  they  renounced 
Satan  and  all  his  works,  and  promised  to  be  faithful  to  God.  Our 
Lord  warns  us  thus:  "No  man  can  serve  two  masters  (who  give 
opposite  commands) ;  for  either  he  will  hate  the  one,  and  love  the 
other :  or  he  will  sustain  the  one,  and  despise  the  other.  You  cannot 
serve  God  and  mammon  (i.  e.  the  riches  &c.  &c.  of  this  world)." 
(Mat.  6,  24). 

The  want  of  priests.  The  people  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  sank 
deeper  and  deeper  into  idolatry  and  crime,  because  the  priests  who 
taught  them  the  true  religion,  and  the  practice  of  it,  were  killed.  It 
is  a  great  misfortune  for  Christian  countries  when  there  is  a  lack  of 
good  priests;  for  in  that  case  faith  grows  weak,  morals  become 
lax,  and  many  souls  are  lost  (New  Test.  XXXII). 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  halt  between  two  sides  ?  Do  you  hesitate  between 
good  and  evil,  between  the  commands  of  God  and  the  prompt- 
ings of  your  own  evil  passions?  To-day,  perhaps,  you  have 
promised  to  serve  God,  and  to-morrow  you  will  follow 
some  evil  desire.  This  wavering  between  good  and  evil  is 
a  dangerous  game  for  the  salvation  of  your  soul,  for 
you  are  really  wavering  between  heaven  and  hell.  Away, 
then,  with  indecision!  Love  God  with  your  whole  heart 
and  be  true  to  Him  till  death.  Renew  this  day  your 
baptismal  vows. 

14* 


316  CHAPTER  LXIV. 

Chapter  LXIV. 

WICKEDNESS  OF  ACHAB  AND  JEZABEL— 
THEIR  PUNISHMENT. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

ACHAB  had  a  palace  at  Jezrahel  *,  and  near  it  was  a 
vineyard  owned  by  a  man  named  Naboth.  Achab, 
coveting  the  vineyard,  said  one  day  to  Naboth:  "Give  me 
thy  vineyard,  that  I  may  make  me  a  garden,  and  I  will 
give  thee  a  better  vineyard,  or  I  will  give  thee  the  worth 
of  it  in  money."  Naboth  answered  him:  "The  Lord  be 
merciful  to  me,  and  not  let  me  give  thee  the  inheritance 
of  my  fathers." 2  For  the  law  of  Moses  forbade  the  son  to 
"sell  the  property  which  he  had  inherited  from  his  forefathers. 

The  king  was  so  troubled,  because  he  could  not  have  the 
vineyard  that  he  could  neither  eat  nor  sleep 3.  Jezabel,  his 
queen,  perceiving  this,  inquired  the  cause  of  his  sadness  and 
fretting.  The  king,  having  explained  the  cause,  Jezabel 
mockingly  said:  "Thou  art  of  great  authority,  indeed,  and 
governest  well  the  kingdom  of  Israel!  Arise  and  eat  bread, 
and  be  of  good  cheer:  I  will  give  thee  the  vineyard  of 
Naboth  the  Jezrahelite." 

She  then  wrote  letters  in  the  king's  name  to  the  chief 
men  of  the  city4,  whom  she  knew  to  be  wicked  like 
herself,  requesting  them  to  find  some  men  who  would 
wrongfully  accuse  Naboth.  These  men5  were  easily  found, 
and  they  bore  false  witness  against  Naboth,  saying  that  he 
had  blasphemed  God  and  the  king.  And  on  their  testimony 
Naboth  was  condemned,  taken  out  of  the  city,  and  stoned 
to  death6. 

1  Achab  generally  lived  in  Samaria,  but  he  had  also  a  summer- 
palace  at  Jezrahel,  where  Naboth's  vineyard  was.  —  2  It  was  expressly 
forbidden  by  the  Law  to  sell  a  family-heritage;  though  in  cases  of 
necessity  it  could  be  mortgaged  until  the  next  jubilee-year.  It  was 
therefore  out  of  fear  of  God  that  Naboth  refused  to  sell  his  vineyard.  — 
3  Like  a  spoilt  child  who  cannot  have  his  own  way.  —  4  The  ancients 
and  representatives  of  the  city.  —  5  Holy  Scripture  calls  these  men 
sons  of  Belial,  or  of  the  devil,  because  they  bore  false  witness  against 
Naboth,   thus   causing   his   death.    How  great   must   have   been  the 


WICKEDNESS  OF  ACHAB  AND  JEZABEL.  317 

corruption  of  the  whole  people,  if  even  their  chief  men,  and  the 
witnesses  called  by  them,  were  so  wicked!  —  6  Death  by  stoning 
was  the  punishment  decreed  for  blasphemy.  The  wicked  Jezabel  who 
did  not  herself  believe  in  God,  caused  an  innocent  man  to  be  put  to 
death  on  the  charge  of  blasphemy  against  Him! 

Jezabel,  being  informed  of  Naboth's  death,  went  and  told 
her  husband  that  he  might  now  take  the  vineyard,  as  Naboth 
was  dead.  And  Achab  took  the  vineyard.  Then  the  Lord 
commanded  Elias  to  go  to  Achab,  to  reproach  him  with  his 
crime,  and  to  tell  him  that  the  dogs  would  lick  up  his  own 
blood  on  the  very  spot  on  which  Naboth  was  slain,  and 
that  the  queen  would  be  devoured  by  dogs  in  the  same  field. 
This  prediction  was  literally  fulfilled. 

Three  years  after,  Achab  was  mortally  wounded  in  a 
battle7,  with  the  Syrians;  and  when  the  chariot  in  which 
he  received  the  fatal  wound  was  being  washed  after  his 
death,  the  dogs  came  and  licked  up  his  blood8. 

Some  time  after,  when  Jehu  was  king,  he  went  to  Jezrahel. 
And  when  Jezabel  heard  of  his  coming  she  dressed  herself 
in  her  richest  apparel.  She  painted  her  face  and  adorned 
her  head,  and  stood  at  the  window  of  her  palace.  Jehu, 
seeing  her  at  the  window,  ordered  her  servants  to  cast  her 
down.  They  did  so,  and  the  walls  were  sprinkled  with  her 
blood,  and  the  hoofs  of  the  horses  trod  upon  her,  and  the 
dogs  came  and  ate  her  flesh9.  After  Jehu  had  dined  he 
ordered  Jezabel  to  be  buried,  but  only  her  head,  feet  and 
hands  remained. 

7  An  arrow,  which  pierced  a  joint  of  his  coat  of  mail,  wounded  him 

so  seriously  that  he  died  soon  after.  —  8  As  his   bloody  corpse  was 

being   washed   in  the   pool   of  Samaria.  —   9  Jehu  had   all   Achab's 

children  and  relatives   put  to   death,  so   that  the  whole  race  of  the 

impious  king  was  destroyed. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Omniscience  of  God.  God  knew,  and  revealed  to  Elias 
that  Naboth  was  innocent,  and  that  Achab  had  seized  his 
vineyard  by  unjust  means. 

The  Justice  of  God.  Achab  and  his  wicked  wife  were  not 
able  to  enjoy  for  long  their  unjustly  got  possession.  The 
measure  of  their  sins  was  full,  and  God  punished  them  by 


318  CHAPTER  LXIV. 

a  terrible  and  unexpected  death.  Jezabel's  body  was  trampled 
on  by  horses,  and  devoured  by  dogs  in  Jezrahel,  where  she 
had  murdered  Naboth;  nor  was  even  honourable  burial 
vouchsafed  to  her.  Such  was  the  terrible  end  of  this  im- 
it  perious  and  arrogant  woman!  "Treasures  of  wickedness 
shall  profit  nothing"  (Prov.  10,  2). 

The  Faithfulness  of  God.  The  punishment  with  which 
Almighty  God  threatened  Achab  and  Jezabel  was  brought 
to  pass.  When  Achab  went  out  to  fight  against  the  Syrians, 
he  disguised  himself  so  that  he  might  not  be  recognised  as 
king  and  attacked.  But  "a  certain  man  (of  the  Syrians) 
bent  his  bow,  shooting  at  a  venture,  and  chanced  to  strike 
the  king  of  Israel  between  the  lungs  and  the  stomach.  And 
the  blood  ran  out  of  the  wound  in  the  midst  of  the  chariot, 
and  he  died  in  the  evening.  And  they  washed  his  chariot 
in  the  pool  of  Samaria,  and  the  dogs  licked  up  his  blood" 
(3  Kings  22,  34  &c).  Now,  was  it  by  chance  that  the 
arrow  hit  the  disguised  king;  that  his  blood  flowed  into 
the  chariot,  and  that  the  dogs  licked  it  up?  No,  all  this 
occurred  under  the  Providence  of  the  just  and  true  God, 
Who  moulded  circumstances  in  order  to  bring  that  to  pass 
which  He  had  threatened! 

The  eighth  Commandment.  The  witnesses  against  Naboth 
sinned  grievously ;  for  they  bore  false  witness  in  a  court  of 
justice,  as  to  a  serious  matter  that  involved  life  and  death. 
They  were  rightly  called  children  of  the  devil,  because  it 
requires  a  devilish  malice  to  commit  such  a  sin. 

The  tenth  Commandment.  Achab  sinned  grievously  against 
this  Commandment  by  coveting  the   inheritance  of  Naboth. 

The  seventh  Commandment.  He  also  sinned  grievously 
against  this  Commandment  by  taking  for  himself  the  property 
of  the  murdered  man. 

Sharing  in  the  guilt  of  others.  The  prophet  said  to  Achab : 
"  Thou  hast  slain  &c."  But  how  could  Achab  be  Naboth's 
murderer?  He  had  not  accused  him  or  sentenced  him  to 
death !  No,  but  Achab  knew  perfectly  well  that  his  wicked 
wife  would  use  unlawful  means  to  gain  possession  of  the 
vineyard,  and  yet,  not  only  did  he  utter  no  word  of  protest, 


ELIAS  TAKEN  UP  TO  HEAVEN— THE  PROPHET  ELISEUS.    319 

but  consented  to  Jezabel's  writing  a  letter  in  his  name, 
and  sealed  it  with  his  royal  seal!  Thus,  by  his  silence,  he 
consented  to  his  wife's  wicked  project.  Neither  did  Jezabel 
kill  Naboth  with  her  own  hands;  but  she  commanded  the 
ancients  of  the  city  to  have  him  falsely  accused  and  put  to 
death.  In  this  way  she  shared  in  the  guilt  of  others  by 
command,  and  was  guilty  of  murder. 

Unlawful  obedience.  Ought  the  ancients  of  the  city  to  have 
obeyed  or  disobeyed  the  royal  command? 

Covetousness.  The  source  or  root  of  all  these  sins  we  have 
been  hearing  about  was  covetousness.  Achab's  desire  to 
possess  Naboth's  vineyard  led  to  anger,  bribery,  injustice, 
murder  and  robbery.  Covetousness,  or  avarice,  is  therefore 
one  of  the  capital  sins. 

Inordinate  desires  make  men  unhappy,  peevish  and  ill-tempered. 
Achab,  not  being  able  to  gratify  his  longing  for  the  vineyard,  became 
sad  and  angry,  and  his  very  life  was,  as  it  were,  darkened.  Was 
that  not  silly  and  ridiculous! 

III.  Application. 

Have  you  ever  taken  anything  that  does  not  belong  to 
you,  such  as  fruit  &c?  Are  you  contented  with  what  you 
have  got?  If  the  desire  to  have  that  which  is  unlawful 
seizes  you,  overcome  it  at  once,  and  think  of  the  just  God 
Who  hates  and  punishes  injustice.  He  who  is  contented  is 
happy,  but  he  who  is  discontented  lives  a  life  of  disquiet, 
and  is  in  great  danger  of  sin  and  eternal  damnation. 

Chapter  LXV. 

ELIAS  TAKEN  UP  TO  HEAVEN— THE  PROPHET 

ELISEUS  CHOSEN  TO  SUCCEED  HIM. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AT  one  time  Elias,  being  persecuted  by  Jezabel  *,  fled  into 
the  desert 2.  He  was  very  sad 3,  and  desired  to  die  4,  for 
he  thought  all  the  Israelites  had  fallen  into  idolatry.  Being 
fatigued,  he  cast  himself  down  and  slept  in  the  shadow  of 
a  juniper-tree;  and  behold  an  angel  of  the  Lord  touched 
him  and  said:   "Arise,  eat;  for  thou  hast  yet  a  great  way 


320  CHAPTER  LXV. 

to  go."  Elias  looked,  and  saw  at  his  head  a  hearth  cake 
and  a  vessel  of  water.  He  arose,  ate  and  drank,  and  walked 
in  the  strength  of  that  food  forty  days  and  forty  nights5, 
until  he  came  to  the  mount  of  God6,  Horeb. 

Then  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  amidst  the  whistling  of 
a  gentle  wind,  consoled  him  and  said:  "Return  and  anoint 
Eliseus  to  be  prophet  in  thy  room,  and  I  will  leave  me 
seven  thousand  men  whose  knees  have  not  bowed  before 
Baal."  7  Elias  departed,  and  found  Eliseus 8  ploughing  with 
oxen.  He  cast  his  mantle  upon  him 9,  and  Eliseus  forthwith  left 
the  oxen  and  the  plough,  followed  Elias  and  ministered  to  him. 

1  Ever  since  the  great  miracle  on  Mount  Carmel,  Achab  had  not 
ventured  to  persecute  the  prophet  of  God;  but  Jezabel's  hatred  of 
him  had  been  intensified  by  the  overthrow  of  the  priests  of  Baal, 
and  she  now  did  all  she  could  to  seize  on  the  prophet,  and  put  him 
to  death.  —  2  To  Bersabee,  south  of  the  kingdom  of  Juda.  —  3  Because 
impiety  had  gained  the  upper  hand,  and  the  true  religion  was  oppressed 
and  persecuted.  —  4  So  that  he  might  no  longer  have  to  behold  the 
triumph  of  vice  and  unbelief.  —  5  He  was  so  strengthened  by  this 
food  that  he  was  able  to  travel  fasting  for  forty  days  and  forty  nights, 
as  far  as  Horeb,  one  of  the  mountains  of  Sinai.  —  6  so  called,  because 
God  Himself  had  appeared  there  to  Moses  (Chapter  XXXI).  It 
was  only  two  ^hundred  miles^fromBersabee  to  Sinai;  and  if  Elias 
had  not  made  a  circuit  he  might  nave  reached  the  holy  mountain 
much  sooner  than  he  did.  Probably  he  visited  on  the  way  some  of 
the  places  sanctified  by  the  miracles  wrought  by  God  during  the 
Israelites'  passage  through  the  wilderness.  By  his  pilgrimage  to  the 
mountain,  consecrated  by  the  giving  of  the  Law,  and  to  other  places 
full  of  mighty  associations,  Elias  hoped  to  gain  strength,  courage  and 
consolation  for  the  further  pursuit  of  his  high  calling.  —  7  i.  e.  "jou 
must  not  believe  that  idolatry  is  universal  in  Israel.  There  are 
several  thousand  wno  have  not  Dowed"l;he"T?:nee  to  Baal,  or  who,  in 
oilier  words,  have  not  succumbed  to  idolatry".  —  8  in  the  plain 
(to  the  south  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  Eliseus  and  his  servants  were 
\  ploughing  with  twelve  yoke  of  oxen,  by  which  we  can  see  that  he 
\was  a  man  of  means.  —  9  as  a  sign  that  Eliseus  was  to  be  his 
/successor  in  the  prophetical  office. 

cut  the  time  came  when  the  Lord  wished  to  take  Elias 

from  the  earth.    The  spirit  of  God  led  him  to  the  Jordan 10, 

and  Eliseus  accompanied  him.   Elias  took  his  mantle,  folded 

\  it  together,  and  struck  the  waters ;  the  waters  divided,  and 

•  both  passed  over  on  dry  ground.   As  they  walked  on,  there 


ELIAS  TAKEN  UP  TO  HEAVEN— THE  PROPHET  ELISEUS.    321 


appeared  a  fiery  chariot  with  horses n.   Elias  was  taken  up 
alive  to  heaven 12.   Eliseus  saw  him  and  cried :  "  My  father ! 
my  father!"     When  he  saw  Elias  no  longer,  he  rent  his 
garments  in  grief;  then  taking  the  mantle  which  Elias  had;' 
dropped,  he  went  back  and  struck  with  it  the  waters  of  the, 
Jordan.     They  were  divided,  and  Eliseus  passed  over.   The1 
other  disciples13  of  Elias,  seeing  this,  said:    "The  spirit  of 
Elias  hath  rested   upon  Eliseus." u    And   coming  to   meet 
him,  they  worshipped  him,  falling  to  the  ground. 

10  The  Spirit  of  God  had  revealed  to  Elias  his  approaching  trans- 
lation from  this  earth,  and  had  inspired  him  to  go  to  the  Jordan.  — 
11  Angels  snatched  up  Elias  from  the  earth  by  means  of  a  fiery 
apparition  having  the  semblance  of  a  chariot  and  horses.  —  12  or, 
rather,  heavenwards.  He  could  not  be  taken  into  heaven.  Like  Henoch 
he  was  glorified  without  tasting  of  death,  and  was  taken  to  a  mysterious 
abode  of  peace  and  consolation.  Before  our  Lord's  second  coming  to 
judge  the  world,  Elias  will  come  again  to  this  earth  to  preach  penance 
(Mat.  17,  11).  —  13  Elias's  disciples  had  stayed  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Jordan,  and  from  thence  had  seen  his  marvellous  translation.  — 
14  They  knew  by  the  testimony  of  this  great  miracle,  that  the  gifts 
of  prophecy  and  working  miracles  had  passed  from  Elias  to  Eliseus. 

14** 


322  CHAPTER  LXV. 

After  Elias  had  been  taken  up  into  heaven,  Eliseus  arose 
and  exhorted  the  Israelites  to  remain  faithful  to  the  Lord. 
God  also  favoured  him  with  the  gift  of  miracles15.  When 
he  came  to  Jericho,  the  men  of  the  city  said  to  him:  "The 

\  situation  of  this  city  is  very  good,  but  the  waters  are  very 
bad."  Eliseus  answered:  "Bring  me  a  new  vessel,  and  put 
salt  into  it."   When  they  had  brought  it  he  went  out  to  the 

?  spring16,  cast  the  salt  into  it,  and  the  waters  were  healed. 
One  day  when  Eliseus  was  going  up  to  Bethel  where  the 
golden  calf  was  worshipped17,  som^JiQys  came  out  of  the 
city  and  mocked  him,  saying :  ^80  up,  thou  bald  head." 
Eliseus,  knowing  that  in  dishonouring  him  they  dishonoured 
God,  turned  back  and  cursed  them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 18. 
Immediately  two  bears  came  out  of  the  wood  that  was  near 
by,  and  killed  forty-two  of  the  boys. 

15  God  worked  a  great  many  miracles  through  him,  in  order  that 
the  people  might   believe  that  God   had   sent  him.  —  16  to  the  well 

,  outside  the  town  from  which  the  water  was  conducted  to  the  city. 
This  well,  like  all  those  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Dead  Sea,  had 
a  briny  taste.  Therefore,  when  Eliseus  threw  salt  into  it,  it  was 
simply  as  a  type  of  purity,  and  not  because  this  ingredient  was 
wanting  to  it.  It  was  not  by  the  salt  itself  that  the  water  was  turned 
sweet,  but  by  the  power  of  God,  invoked  by  Eliseus.  The  spring  is 
still  funning:  it  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  Sultan's  spring,  or 
Eliseus's  spring,  and  its  water  is  very  good.  —  17  Who  set  up  the 
golden  calf  there  (see  Chapter  LXl)  ?  Bethel  was  the  head  centre 
of  idolatry.  It  is  probable  that  the  boys  were  set  on  to  mock  Eliseus 
by  their  impious  parents,  who  very  likely  recognised  him  by  the 
mantle  of  Elias.  —  18  He  foretold  to  them  as  well  as  to  their  wicked 
parents  that  God  would  punish  them,  and  immediately  God  sent  the 

'  punishment  by  means  of  the  two  bears. 

Some  time  after,  Eliseus  cured  ofleprosy,  in  a  miraculous 
manner,  Naaman,  general  oiHEhe "Syrianarmy 19,  a  rich  and 
valiant  man/The  wife  of  Naaman  had  in  her  service  a 
young  Israelite  girl  who  had  been  carried  off  into  Syria  by 
robbers.  This  maiden  then  said  one  day  to  her  mistress: 
"I  wish  my  master  had  been  with  the  prophet  that  is  in 
oamaria.  He  would  certainly  have  healed  him  of  the  leprosy." 
When  Naaman  heard  this  he  set  out  for  Samaria  with  horses 
and  chariots. 


ELIAS  TAKEN  UP  TO  HEAVEN-THE  PROPHET  ELTSEUS.    323 

When  Naaman  reached  the  prophet's  dwelling  he  sent  a 
messenger  to  let  him  know  of  his  coming,  and  why  he  had 
come.  Eliseus  sent  him  word  to  bathe  seven  times  in  the 
Jordan,  and  he  would  be  healed.  Naaman  was  angry,  and 
went  away,  saying:  "I  thought  he  would  have  come  out  to^ , 
me,  and  standing,  would  have  invoked  the  name  of  the  Lord 
his  God,  and  touched  with  his  hand  the  place  of  the  leprosy, 
and  healed  me.  Are  not  the  rivers  of  Damascus  better  than 
all  the  waters  of  Israel  ?  " 20 

As  he  was  thus  turning  angrily  away,  his  servants  said 
to  him:  "Father,  if  the  prophet  had  bidden  thee  to  do  somef: 
great  thing,  surely  thou  wouldst  have  done  it;  how  much 
more  what  he  now  hath  said  to  thee,  '  Wash,  and  thou  shalt 
be  clean'."  21  And  Naaman,  seeing  that  what  they  said  was 
just,  alighted  from  his  chariot,  bathed  seven  times  in  the 
Jordan,  and  was  made  clean.  He  returned  to  the  man  of 
God,  and  told  him  that  now  he  knew  for  certain  that  there 
was  no  God  but  the  God  of  Israel22;  and  he  offered  him 
presents,  but  Eliseus  refused  to  receive  anything. 
fpi  19  Syria,  with  its  capital,  Damascus,  is  situated  to   the   north-east 

of  Israel.    Naaman  was   the   king's   general,  a  rich  and  valiant  man. 
He  travelled  into  Israel  with   horses  and  chariots,  taking  much  gold 
with   him.  —  20  for  the  water  of  the  Jordan  is   thick  and   troubled. 
Eliseus  was   humble,  but  he  wished   to   impress  upon  Naaman,  who  0 
was  very  proud  of  his   position,  that  riches  &c.  are  nothing   in   the  ; 
sight  of  God.   This  was  why  he  did  not  go  himself  to  meet  the  great  / 
man,  but  sent  his   servant,  Giezi,  instead.  —  21  His   servants  called 
Naaman,  "Father,"  which  shows  that  he  was  good  to  them.  On  their  f. 
side  they  were  very  loyal  to  him,  and  affectionately  counselled  him  to 
obey  the  prophet.  —  22  Naaman  was  converted   to  faith   in  the  true 
God  by  his  wonderful  cure.   He  had  become  so  humble  that  he  called 
himself  the  servant  of  the  prophet. 

Hardly  had  Naaman  gone  a  little  way,  when  Giezi,  the 
servant  of  Eliseus,  went  after  him,  and  said:  "My  master 
hath  sent  me  to  thee  saying:  'Just  now  there  are  come  tow 
me  from  Mount  Ephraim  two  young  men,  sons  of  the  pro- 
phets23; give  them  a  talent  of  silver  and  two  changes  of 
garments '."  24 

Naaman  gladly  gave  him  two  talents  of  silver  and  two 
changes  of  garments.    Giezi  returned  with  the  presents,  and 


324  CHAPTER  LXV. 

having  hidden  them  he  stood  before  Eliseus.  The  prophet 
asked  him  where  he  had  been,  and  Giezi  answered  that  he 
had  been  nowhere. 

Eliseus  being  angry,  said:    "Was  not  my   heart  present 

when  the  man  turned  back  from  his  chariot?25    Now  thou 

last   money  to   buy   oliveyards   and    vineyards,    and   sheep 

tfid   oxen   and  men-servants    and   maid-servants;    but    the 

leprosy  of  Naaman  shall  stick  to  thee  forever."   And  Giezi 

■went  out  a  leper,  as  white  as  snow  26. 

One  great  miracle27  the  prophet  wrought  even  after  his 
death28.  It  happened  in  this  manner:  On  one  occasion  a 
number  of  men  were  carrying  a  corpse  to  the  cemetery  for 
burial.  As  they  were  making  the  grave,  behold,  robbers 
from  Moab  rushed  in  upon  them.  They,  in  their  fright,  cast 
the  corpse  into  the  sepulchre  of  Eliseus29.  No  sooner  had 
the  dead  man  touched  the  bones  of  the  prophet  than  he  was 
instantly  restored  to  life,  and  came  forth  from  the  tomb. 

^,       23  The   disciples   of  the    prophets  led  a  retired,  community  life  of 

poverty,   prayer   and   contemplation.     They   were,   so   to    speak,   the 

monks   of  the  Old  Testament.  —  24  Fine   clothes,  such   as  would  be 

Avorn  on  great  days  and  festivals.  —  25  God  had  enabled  the  prophet 

t  to  know  in  the  spirit  exactly  what  had  occurred.  —  26  He  was  afflicted, 

*  as  it  were,  with  leprosy  upon  leprosy,  so  that  there  was  no  part  of 

his  body  which   was  not   covered   with   it.  —  27  Among  other  great 

"""miracles,   he  raised   to   life   the  dead  son  of  a  woman  of  Sunam.  — 

28  He  died  at  an  advanced  age,  having  filled  the  prophetical  office  for 

sixty  years  (900 — 840  B.  C).  —  29  into  the  grave  which  had  already 

been  dug  for  Eliseus,  and  from  which  they  quickly  rolled  the  stone. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Goodness  of  God  towards  His  holy  and  zealous  servant 
Elias  was  very  great.  He  revived  and  strengthened  him 
with  a  miraculous  food,  appeared  to  him  most  lovingly  so 
as  to  comfort  him,  and  finally  took  him  from  earth  in  a 
glorious  manner,  without  letting  him  taste  of  the  bitterness 
and  humiliation  of  death. 

The  Omnipotence  of  God  was  shown  by  the  supernatural 
power  of  the  bread,  in  the  strength  of  which  Elias  fasted 
forty  days;  and  also  by  the  twice  repeated  division  of  the 
waters   of  the   Jordan.     It   was   God's    omnipotence    which 


ELIAS  TAKEN  UP  TO  HEAVEN-THE  PROPHET  ELISEUS.    325 

purified  the  well  at  Jericho  by  a  means,  which,  in  the  natural 
order  of  things,  would  have  made  the  briny  water  more 
unpalatable  than  it  was  before.  He  cured  the  leprosy  of 
Naaman,  and  raised  the  dead  man  to  life  by  contact  with 
the  bones  of  Eliseus. 

Sadness  which  is  pleasing  to  God.  The  sadness  of  Elias 
was  not  sinful,  but,  on  the  contrary,  praiseworthy,  for  it- 
sprang  from  love  of  God  and  zeal  for  His  glory;  and  his\ 
heart,  all  aglow  with  divine  love,  was  sad,  even  unto  death, 
when  he  contemplated  the  idolatry  and  impiety  of  the  Israelites. 
We,  too,  ought  to  grieve  when  we  see  how  much  God  is  J 
forgotten  and  offended,  and  how  unbelief  and  hatred  of  the  ] 
Church  of  God  and  her  laws  are  ever  increasing.  It  is  to 
such  sorrow  as  this  that  our  Lord's  words  apply:  "Blessed 
are  they  that  mourn  for  they  shall  be  comforted." 

A  holy  desire  for  death.  We  may  not  wish  for  our  ownV 
death,  or  for  that  of  others,  from  reasons  of  impatience  or 
despair.  Elias's  desire  for  death  arose,  not  from  a  spirit  of 
fretfulness,  but  from  love  of  God,  as  he  was  loth  to  witness 
any  more  offences  committed  against  Him.  Moreover,  he 
longed  to  go  to  God.  It  was  in  this  spirit  that  St.  Paul 
wrote:  "I  have  a  desire  to  be  dissolved,  and  be  with  Christ" 
(Phil.  1,  23).  A 

Gentleness..  The  gentle  sighing  of  the  wind  when  Almighty 
God  appeared  to  Elias  was  meant  to  indicate  His  goodness, 
mercy  and  patience,  and  to  warn  the  fiery  prophet  that  he 
too  must  work  with  patience  and  long-suffering.  We  can, 
as  a  rule,  do  far  "more  fx)r~*God',s  glory  "and  the  salvation 
of  souls  by  patience  and  gentleness,  than  by  violence  and 
severity.  St.  Frangi^^of  Sales  says:  "You  can  catch  more 
flies  with  a  spoonful  of  honey  than  with  a  cask  of  vinegar." 
"Blessed  are  the  meek." 

The  virtues  and  yMk^jim£MS&  After  Moses,  Elias  was 
the  greatest  of  the  prophets.  Firstly,  he  was  great  by  his 
virtues.  He  led  a  severe  life  of  pejiance,  not  loving  the 
world,  but  loving  only  solitude,  prayer,  and  the  contemplation 
of  divine  things.  He  was  devoured  by  a  holy  zeal  for  God's 
glory   and   the    salvation   of  his   people.     He   was  intrepid, 


326  CHAPTER  LXV. 

patient  and  strong  under  suffering  and  persecution,  and  was 
possessed  of  the  most  unshaken  confidence  in  God.  Secondly, 
he  was  great  by  his  divine  calling  and  his  influence  on  the 
world.  He  preserved Jhe  true  faith  injferael,  he  worked 
wonderful  miracles,  such  as  raising  the  dead,  and  was 
translated  from  earth  in  a  marvellous  manner.  He  is, 
>1>  therefore,  venerated  as  a  great  saint  by  both  Christians 
and  Jews. 

Elias,  the  fourteenth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Elias  was,  in 
several  respects,  a  type  of  our  Lord^/  He  was  sent  by  God, 
waj^anroDl^  He  raised  to  life 

the  son  of  the  widow  of  Sarepta:  our  Lord  raised  to  life  the 
son  of  the  widow  of  Nairn.  He  multiplied  the  meal  and  oil : 
our  Lord  multiplied  the  loaves  and  fishes5/Moreover,  Elias 
fasted  forty  days  in  the  wilderness,  .was  haied  and  persecuted 
by  the  ungodly  /was  jsprrowful  even  unto  deathywas  streng- 
thened by  air  angel,/was  translated  to  heaver/  in  sight  of 
his  disciples,^and  will  come  again  at  the  end  of  the  world. 
Faithful  correspondence  ivith  grace.  Eliseus  was  a  God 
.  r  fearing  husbandman,  and  was  called  from  the  plough  to  be 
*Othe  follower  of  the  great  prophet.  He  obeyed  the  call  of 
God  instantly,  corresponded  with  grace,  left  his  home  and 
possessions,  and  served  Elias.  He  was  poor  in  spirit  and 
obedient  to  the  will  of  God,  therefore  he  was  singled  out 
by  God  to  be  the  recipient  of  special  graces.  "Blessed  are 
the  poor  in  spirit." 

The  fourth  Commandment.  Eliseus  and  the  disciples  of 
Elias  show  us  by  their  example  in  what  way  we  should 
love  and  revere  teachers  sent  to  us  by  God.  Eliseus  loved 
Elias  as  his  spiritual  father  ("My  father!  My  father,"  he 
cried),  and  when  he  was  parted  from  him,  he  rent  his  garments 
in  grief.  The  disciples  of  Elias  received  Eliseus  with  the 
deepest  reverence  as  soon  as  they  recognised  him  to  be  the 
spiritual  heir  to  Elias,  and  a  prophet  chosen  by  God. 

The  relics  of  saints.  The  cloak  which  Elias  left  behind 
him  when  he  was  translated  was  a  relic  of  the  holy  prophet. 
By  means  of  this  relic,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  prayers  and 
merits  of  Elias,  God  worked  great  miracles.     By  means  of 


ELTAS  TAKEN  UP  TO  HEAVEN— THE  PROPHET  ELTSEUS.    327 

the  relics  of  Eliseus  a  great  miracle  was  also  wrought.  If, 
therefore,  God  glorifies  the  relics  of  his  saints  by  working 
miracles  through  them,  it  is  certainly  reasonable  and  pleasing 
to  God  that  we  should  value  and  honour  them;  and  the 
Church  teaches  that  we  ought  to  venerate  them.  She  places 
them  under  the  altars  on  which  the  holy  Sacrifice  of  the 
Mass  is  offered,  and  exposes  them  for  our  veneration. 

A  type  of  Holy  Communion.  The  wonderful  food  brought  to  Elias 
by  an  angel  was  an  evident  type  of  Holy  Communion.  We  have 
before  us  a  long  and  dangerous  journey  through  the  desert  of  this  life, 
before  we  can  reach  heaven.  During  this  pilgrimage  God  strengthens 
us  by  the  most  holy  Sacrament,  the  bread  of  angels,  in  the  power 
of  which  we  may  rise  from  virtue  to  virtue,  and  finally  scale  the 
holy  Mount  of  God,  heaven. 

At  our  Lord's  Transfiguration  on  Mount  Thabor,  Moses  and  Elias, 
on  account  of  their  high  place  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  were  allowed 
to  speak  with  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  the  former  as  the  represent- 
ative and  founder  of  the  Law,  the  latter  as  the  representative  of 
the  prophets  (New  Test.  XXXVII). 

God's  Justice  was  manifested  in  the  punishment  of  the 
impious  children  of  Bethel,  and  the  chastisement  of  the 
covetous  servant  Giezi. 

God's  Mercy  sent  the  erring  and  deceived  Israelites  another 
prophet  (Eliseus)  in  the  place  of  Elias,  and  gave  him  the 
power  of  working  mighty  miracles,  in  order  to  induce  the 
people  to  do  penance  and  escape  the  coming  judgment.  How 
wonderfully  did  God's  mercy  reveal  itself  in  the  case  of  the 
pagan  Naaman !  According  to  human  ideas  the  carrying  off 
by  robbers  of  the  Israelite  maiden  was  an  unlucky  accident, 
but  by  divine  Providence  it  became  the  means  by  which  the 
chiefs  of  the  Syrians  were  made  acquainted  with  the  miracles 
which  Eliseus  worked  in  God's  name.  It  was  also  the  cause 
of  the  conversion  of  Naaman  to  the  true  faith.  God  ordained 
that  this  little  maid  should  be  taken  into  the  service  of 
Naaman's  wife,  should  relate  the  wonderful  things  done  by 
Eliseus,  and  should  awaken  in  Naaman's  breast  the  hope 
that  the  prophet  might  heal  him  of  his  terrible  disease. 

The  object  of  miracles.  Leprosy  could  indeed  be  cured, 
except  in  such  aggravated  cases  as  those  of  Job  and  Giezi, 


328  CHAPTER  LXV. 

but  the  cure  was  a  very  slow  one.  Naaman's  sudden  recovery 
was,  therefore,  clearly  a  miracle,  for  it  was  not  the  water 
of  the  Jordan  which  cured  him,  but  the  almighty  power  of 
God.  God  performed  this  miracle  on  the  distinguished 
Gentile,  in  order  that  he  might  be  converted,  and  that  the 
name  of  God  should  be  glorified  even  among  the  heathen. 
Naaman  was  healed  in  soul  as  well  as  in  body. 

Reverence  for  old  age  and  for  the  servants  of  God.  The 
sin  committed  by  the  boys  of  Bethel  was  great,  because  the 
person  they  mocked  was  both  an  old  man  and  a  prophet. 
They  proved  themselves  to  be  bad,  vicious  children,  full  of 
hatred  of  God  and  His  servants.  Their  severe  punishment 
was  sent,  firstly,  to  prevent  their  reaching  a  mature  stage 
of  wickedness ;  secondly,  to  teach  the  inhabitants  of  Bethel 
to  fear  God  and  honour  His  prophets ;  and,  thirdly,  to  serve 
as  a  warning  for  all  time  that  old  age  is  to  be  honoured, 
and  all  those  sent  by  God  are  to  be  revered.  "Rise  up  before 
the  hoary  head,  and  honour  the  person  of  the  aged  man" 
(Lev.  19,  32).  Our  Lord  said,  referring  to  the  apostles  and 
their  successors:  "He  that  heareth  you,  heareth  Me:  and 
he  that  despiseth  you,  despiseth  Me:  and  he  that  despiseth 
Me,  despiseth  Him  that  sent  Me"  (Luke  10,  16). 

Humility.  Naaman's  story  shows  us  that  only  the  humble 
can  find  favour  with  God.  The  narrative  of  the  little  maid 
had  inspired  the  Syrian  general  with  a  great  confidence  in 
the  power  of  God  and  the  prayers  of  Eliseus.  But  when 
he  arrived,  and  the  prophet  did  not  come  out  to  meet  him, 
to  touch  him  and  pray  over  him,  and  still  more  when  he 
was  told  to  bathe  in  the  Jordan,  his  pride  was  aroused.  He 
said  to  himself:  "What,  am  1  not  even  good  enough  for  the 
prophet  to  speak  to  ?  What  good  can  the  water  of  the  Jordan 
do  me  ?  "  It  was  only  when  his  servants  reasoned  with  him, 
that  he  overcame  his  pride,  and  humbly  obeyed  the  directions 
of  the  man  of  God.  Had  he  not  become  humble  and  obedient, 
he  would  not  have  been  healed  either  in  body  or  soul. 

Consider  the  gratitude  of  Naaman. 

Disinterestedness  of  Eliseus.  As  he  did  not  care  for  his 
own  interests,  but  only  for  the  glory  of  God,  Eliseus  found 


ELIAS  TAKEN  UP  TO  HEAVEN— THE  PROPHET  ELISEUS.    329 

his  full  reward  in  the  conversion  of  the  pagan  Syrian,  and 
thanked  God  gratefully  for  it. 

Covetousness.  Giezi,  like  Judas  Iscariot,  was  a  covetous 
man,  though  he  had  constantly  before  him  the  example  of 
his  poverty-loving  master.  In  order  to  enrich  himself  he 
lied  first  to  the  Syrian  and  then  to  Eliseus,  exposing  the 
latter  to  a  charge  of  avarice  and  perjury,  for  the  prophet 
had  said  to  Naaman:  "As  the  Lord  liveth  I  will  take 
nothing."  This  story  shows  us  how  covetousness  is  a  capital 
sin,  leading  to  many  other  sins,  especially  to  lies  and  deceit. 

Ill-gotten  gains  profit  nothing.  The  rich  presents  received 
by  Giezi  from  Naaman  were  ill-gotten,  for  he  told  lies  to 
obtain  them.  These  ill-gotten  gifts  brought  him  no  blessing. 
Covered  with  an  incurable  leprosy,  he  could  enjoy  neither 
riches  nor  life.  He  must  very  often  have  cursed  his  avarice 
and  deceit,  for  health  is  of  more  value  than  gold.  Many 
a  rich  invalid  would  give  all  he  possesses  could  he  thereby 
regain  his  health! 

Justification  of  the  sinner.  Naaman's  wonderful  cure  from  leprosy 
is,  according  to  the  Fathers  of  the  Church,  a  type  of  the  sinner's 
justification  by  the  Sacraments  of  Baptism  and  Penance.  Leprosy 
represents  sin,  and  the  waters  of  Jordan,  both  the  baptismal  waters, 
and  tears  of  contrition  in  the  Sacrament  of  Penance.  In  Naaman's 
case  his  flesh  became  as  the  flesh  of  a  little  child :  even  so  is  the  soul 
washed  from  all  its  sins  by  Baptism  and  Penance.  But  to  obtain  this 
inward  purity,  the  sinner  must,  like  Naaman,  humble  himself  and 
fulfil  the  exact  conditions  of  forgiveness. 

Holy  water.  The  blessing  of  the  water  of  Jericho  by  Eliseus  was 
a  type  of  the  blessing  of  holy  water  by  the  Church;  and  at  the 
blessing  of  it,  the  miracle  of  Eliseus  is  expressly  referred  to.  Have 
you  ever  seen  how  holy  water  is  blessed,  and  what  the  priest  throws 
into  it?  He  throws  in  blessed  salt,  and  prays  in  the  name  of  the 
Church  that  the  water  may  be  freed  from  the  influence  of  the  evil 
one,  and  be  salutary  to  all  who  use  it  devoutly. 

Good  and  pious  servants  bring  a  blessing  to  their  employers. 
Naaman's  Israelite  slave  remained  true  to  her  faith  though  she  lived 
among  heathens,  and  her  pious  narration  was  the  cause  of  Naaman 
being  cured  of  his  leprosy  and  converted  to  the  true  faith. 

The  free  gift  of  grace.  "There  were  many  lepers  in  Israel  in  the 
time  of  Eliseus  the  prophet,  yet  none  of  them  were  cleansed  but 
Naaman  the  Syrian"  (see  New  Test.  Chapt.  XVII).     Thus  spoke  our 


330  CHAPTER  LXVI. 

Lord  at  Nazareth,  to  prove  by  this  example  that  "election"  was  not 
hereditary  in  the  family  of  Abraham. 

III.  Application. 

If  you  want  to  know  yourself  (and  without  self-knowledge 
there  can  be  no  amendment  of  life),  ask  yourself  what  it 
is  that  most  easily  disturbs  you.  Do  you  feel  sad  when 
others  are  praised  or  rewarded?  Do  you  feel  glad  when 
they  are  blamed  or  punished?  If  so,  you  are  full  of 
selfishness  and  envy.  Are  you  put  out  when  you  cannot 
have  your  own  way,  or  if  leave  is  refused  you  to  do  something 
you  wish?     If  so,  you  are  self-willed  and  disobedient. 

Never  laugh  about  the  sins  of  others.  Remember  the 
offence  against  God,  and  pray  for  the  conversion  of  those 
who  have  sinned. 

Have  you  ever  derided  old  or  infirm  people?  Do  you 
mock  at  your  comrades  for  their  physical  infirmities  ?  Just 
think  how  unkind,  how  rude,  how  unjust  it  is  to  do  so,  for 
they  are  not  responsible  for  their  defects! 

Search  your  conscience  on  the  subject  of  lies.  Even  if  your 
lies  do  no  harm  to  other  people  they  do  harm  to  your  own  soul, 
because  every  lie  is  a  sin.  For  the  future  say  an  "Our  Father" 
whenever  you  tell  a  lie,  and  then  you  will  keep  a  better  watch 
over  yourself,  and  will  cure  yourself  of  the  detestable  habit. 

Chapter  LXVI. 
THE  PROPHET  JONAS. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  the  death  of  Eliseus l,  the  Lord  wishing  to  show 
mercy  to  the  Gentiles,  raised  up  the  prophet  Jonas  that 
he  might  go  to  Ninive  2,  and  preach  penance  to  the  inhabitants 
of  that  city.  The  wickedness  of  the  pagan  Ninivites  had 
provoked  the  anger  of  God,  and  He  had  said  to  Jonas: 
"  Arise,  and  go  to  Ninive  and  preach  in  it,  for  the  wickedness 
thereof  is  come  up  before  me."  3 

Jonas,  however,  knew  that  the  Lord  easily  forgives ;  hence 
he  was  afraid  that  if  he  preached  to  the  people  of  Ninive 
they   would    do   penance,   and   that    consequently   the   Lord 


THE  PROPHET  JONAS.  331 

would  spare  them,  while  he  himself  would  be  looked  upon 
as  a  false  prophet.  So  Jonas  rose  up  to  flee  from  the  face 
of  the  Lord4,  and  he  embarked  on  board  a  ship  which 
sailed  for  Tharsis.  But  the  Lord  sent  a  great  storm,  and 
the  sea  heaved  and  swelled,  and  the  ship  threatened  to  sink  5. 

Then  the  sailors  being  frightened  threw  into  the  sea  all 
the  merchandise  that  was  on  board,  in  order  to  lighten  the 
vessel.  And  each  one  began  praying  to  his  own  god  for 
help.  But  Jonas  was  below,  fast  asleep ;  and  the  shipmaster 
went  to  him  and  said:  "Why  art  thou  asleep?  Rise  up, 
call  upon  thy  God,  if  so  be  that  God  will  think  of  us,  that 
we  may  not  perish!" 

But  the  sailors,  seeing  that  the  violence  of  the  storm 
continued  to  increase,  proposed  to  cast  lots  that  they  might 
know  why  this  evil  had  come  upon  them6.  And  they  cast 
lots,  and  the  lot  fell  upon  Jonas7.  Then  Jonas  confessed 
his  sin  and  said:  "Take  me  up,  and  cast  me  into  the  sea, 
and  the  sea  shall  be  calm  to  you." 

The  sailors,  unwilling  to  throw  Jonas  overboard,  rowed 
very  hard  to  gain  the  shore,  where  they  might  leave  him 
in  safety.  But  they  were  not  able ;  for  the  sea  swelled  and 
tossed  higher  than  ever.  At  last  they  took  Jonas  and  cast 
him  into  the  sea,  and  immediately  the  storm  ceased,  and 
the  sea  was  calm. 

At  the  same  moment  the  Lord  sent  a  great  fish  8,  a  whale, 
which  opened  its  jaws  and  swallowed  Jonas.  And  he  remained 
three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  belly  of  the  whale, 
continually  calling  on  God  to  save  him,  saying:  "I  am  cast 
away,  out  of  the  sight  of  Thy  eyes;  but  yet  I  shall  see 
thy  holy  temple  again."  His  prayer  was  heard,  and  on  the 
third  day  the  fish  threw  Jonas  out  of  its  mouth  on  the 
dry  land. 

1  About  820  B.  C.  —  2  The  kingdom  of  Assyria  was  situated  to 
the  east  of  Syria.  It  was  the  greatest  empire  of  those  days,  and 
embraced  all  the  country  between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris 
(Mesopotamia),  and  a  large  tract  to  the  north  and  south  of  it  (Media, 
Elam  and  Babylon).  The  capital,  Ninive,  the  greatest  city  of  antiquity, 
was  on  the  Tigris,  and  was  twenty-four  leagues  in  circumference, 
its  houses  being  surrounded  by  gardens  and  vineyards.  The  inhabitants, 


332  CHAPTER  LXVL 

who  numbered  about  700,000,  were  proud  and  immoral.  —  3  i.  e.  their 
wickedness  constrains  me  to  punish  them  if  they  will  not  do  penance. 
Jonas  suspected  that  if  the  Ninivites  repented  God  would  spare  them 
and  abandon  the  Israelites.  He  wished  Ninive  to  be  destroyed,  so 
that  the  Assyrians  should  be  rendered  incapable  of  overpowering 
Israel ;  he  did  not  wish  to  preach  penance  to  the  city,  through  fear  that 
God  might  find  reason  to  spare  it.  —  4  He  wished  to  avoid  the  mission 
with  which  God  had  charged  him,  and  therefore  embarked  on  a  ship 
bound  for  Spain.  The  prophet  knew  very  well  that  he  could  not  escape 
from  the  omnipresent  God.  —  5  and  break  in  pieces.  —  6  They  were 
convinced  that  some  one  on  board  must  have  secretly  committed  a 
great  sin,  and  that  an  angry  divinity  had  sent  this  terrible  storm  as 
a  punishment.  Even  the  heathens  believed  in  retribution.  —  7  By 
God's  Providence.  —  8  Probably  a  shark.  This  fish  has  been  known 
to  be  as  much  as  thirty  feet  long,  and  has  such  enormous  jaws  that 
it  could  easily  swallow  a  man  whole.  That  Jonas  remained  alive 
inside  the  fish,  and  was  thrown  up  by  it  on  dry  land  was  a  miracle 
of  God's  Omnipotence.  Think  what  a  state  of  terror  Jonas  must  have 
been  in  while  inside  the  fish! 

And  the  Lord  spoke  a  second  time  to  Jonas,  and  told 
him  to  go  to  Ninive,  the  great  city,  and  preach  penance. 
Jonas  went  without  delay,  and  entering  into  the  city,  he 
walked  a  whole  day  through  the  streets,  calling  out  as  he 
went :  "  Yet  forty  days,  and  Ninive  shall  be  destroyed."  The 
people  of  Ninive  were  struck  with  terror,  knowing  how  guilty 
they  were,  and  a  general  fast  was  proclaimed  throughout 
the  whole  city,  both  for  man  and  beast. 

The  king  himself  put  on  sackcloth  and  sat  in  ashes,  and 
he  and  all  his  people,  from  the  greatest  to  the  least,  fasted 
and  did  penance,  in  order  to  appease  the  anger  of  (rod. 
And  because  of  their  repentance  God  had  mercy  on  the 
people  of  Ninive,  and  spared  their  city.  Meanwhile,  Jonas 
had  gone  out  of  the  city,  and  sat  down  at  some  distance, 
towards  the  east,  to  see  what  would  happen.  And  finding 
that  God  had  spared  Ninive,  he  was  angry  and  much  troubled  9, 
lest  he  should  pass  for  a  false  prophet. 

God  however,  wishing  to  show  his  prophet  the  unreasonable- 
ness of  his  anger,  caused  to  spring  up,  during  the  night,  a  large 
vine 10,  which  sheltered  him  next  day  from  the  scorching 
rays  of  the  sun.  But  on  the  following  morning  God  sent  a 
worm  which  ate  up  the  root  of  the  plant,  and  it  withered  away. 


THE  PROPHET  JONAS. 


333 


Now,  when  the  sun  had  risen,  God  sent  a  hot  and  burning 
wind ;  besides  the  sun  struck  full  on  the  head  of  Jonas,  so 
that  he  broiled  with  the  heat  to  such  a  degree  that  he 
desired  to  die.  Then  the  Lord  said  to  him:  "Thou  art  grieved^ 
for  the  ivy  for  which  thou  hast  not  laboured,  and  shall  not 
I  spare  Ninive,  in  which  there  are  more  than  a  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand  persons  that  know  not  how  to  distinguish 
between  their  right  hand  and  their  left11,  and  many  beasts?" 
Jonas,  lying  three  days  in  the  whale's  belly,  was  a  figure 
of  Jesus  Christ,  lying  three  days  in  the  tomb.  So,  also, 
Jonas  coming  forth  alive  on  the  third  day  was  a  figure  of 
our  Lord's  Resurrection. 

9  Because  he  feared  that  Ninive's  salvation  would  be  Israel's  de- 
struction. —  10  over  his  unprotected  hut.  —  n  Whom  did  the  Lord 
God  mean  by  those  who  knew  not  their  right  hand  from  their  left? 
Little  children  under  seven.  It  was,  therefore,  as  if  He  had  said: 
"Shall  I  not  have  compassion  on  this  great  city,  in  which  are  120,000 
innocent  children,  who  have  not  as  yet  committed  any  actual   sin?" 

II.  Commentary. 

God  never  changes !  What !  did  He  not  change  His  intention 
towards  Ninive  ?  It  may  appear  so,  for  first  He  made  Jonas 
proclaim  that  the  city  would  be  destroyed  in  forty  days,  and 
yet,  after  all,  He  spared  it!  To  this  St.  Jerome  replies: 
"Grod  did  not  change  His  purpose,  but  man  changed  his 
actions !   From  the  first  it  was  God's  intention  to  be  merciful 


334  CHAPTER  LXVL 

and  He  proclaimed  the  punishment  in  order  that  He  might 
be  able  to  show  mercy."  As  God  is  ever  ready  to  be  merciful 
if  only  man  will  be  converted,  we  must  add  to  the  words; 
'Ninive  shall  be  destroyed',  this  reservation,  'unless  it  do 
penance'.  God  threatened  to  punish  the  Ninivites  for  the 
express  purpose  of  bringing  them  to  repentance,  so  that,  of 
His  mercy,  He  might  remit  the  punishment  with  which  His 
justice  had  threatened  them. 

The  Omnipotence  of  God  stirred  up  the  storm  at  sea,  and 
instantly  calmed  it,  made  the  lot  to  fall  on  Jonas,  sent  the 
fish  to  swallow  him,  kept  him  alive  inside  it,  made  it  cast 
him  up  on  dry  land,  and  caused  the  rapid  growth  and  as 
rapid  decay  of  the  plant  which  gave  shelter  to  the  prophet. 
Everything  is  in  the  hands  of  Almighty  God,  the  elements 
obey  Him,  and  the  animals  do  His  will. 

The  Goodness  and  Holiness  of  God.  God  loves  little  children, 
because  they  are  innocent,  and  have  not  committed  any  actual 
sin ;  and  for  the  sake  of  them  He  had  mercy  on  the  whole  city. 

The  Justice  of  God.  God  punished  the  disobedience  of 
Jonas  by  stirring  up  the  storm  on  his  account,  by  letting 
him  be  devoured  by  the  fish,  and  keeping  him  shut  up  inside 
it  in  a  state  of  mortal  fear. 

The  Mercy  of  God.  He  showed  His  mercy  to  Jonas  first ; 
and  then  to  the  Ninivites.  "As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord  God, 
I  desire  not  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but  that  the  wicked 
turn  from  his  way  and  life"  (Ez.  33,  11). 

The  faith  and  repentance  of  the  Ninivites  was  very  edifying. 
In  spite  of  the  wonderful  words  and  deeds  of  Elias,  most 
of  the  Israelites  had  remained  impenitent.  Then  God  turned 
to  the  Gentiles,  who  showed  more  good-will  and  faith  than 
the  chosen  people.  The  Ninivites  believed  the  word  of  the 
Lord  as  soon  as  the  prophet  announced  it  to  them;  and 
they  practised  penance  with  prayer  and  fasting,  when  he 
quoted  his  own  miraculous  deliverance  as  a  sign  that  God 
had  sent  him  (Luke  11,  30).  Our  Lord  Himself  held  up  the 
Ninivites  as  an  example  to  the  hard-hearted  Israelites,  when 
He  said:  "The  men  of  Ninive  shall  rise  in  judgment  with 
this   generation   and   shall    condemn   it;    because   they    did 


THE  PROPHET  JONAS.  335 

penance  at  the  preaching  of  Jonas — and  behold  a  greater 
than  Jonas  is  here"  (see  New  Test.  XXVII).  How  dis- 
graceful would  it  be  for  Christians  if  they  allowed  them- 
selves to  be  outdone  in  faith  and  penance  by  the  Ninivites ! 

True  conversion.  Jonas  sinned  by  refusing  to  obey  God's 
command.  But  he  saw,  repented  of,  and  confessed  his  sin, 
and  in  his  repentance  declared  himself  willing  to  suffer  death 
by  drowning.  His  conversion  was  sincere,  for  immediately 
after  his  miraculous  deliverance  he  set  off  for  Ninive  to 
execute  God's  commission.  The  surest  proof  of  conversion 
is  to  be  willing  to  do  God's  will,  no  matter  how  hard  it  be. 

Fasting  is,  as  we  can  see  by  this  story,  a  work  of  penance 
well-pleasing  to  God.  Therefore  the  Church,  in  order  to 
kindle  and  increase  our  ardour  for  penance,  has  prescribed 
fixed  fasting  days. 

The  good  works  of  sinners.  The  Ninivites  were  not  in  a 
state  of  grace  when  they  performed  their  good  works  of 
prayer,  fasting  &c,  for  they  were  great  sinners.  Nevertheless, 
these  good  works  were  not  useless,  for  they  availed  to 
avert  the  threatened  judgment,  and  to  win  for  many  of  the 
inhabitants  the  grace  of  conversion. 

Jonas,  the  fifteenth  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  Jonas  was  a  type 
of  the  Divine  Redeemer.  Our  Lord  Himself  teaches  us  this 
when  He  says  (see  New  Test.  XXVII):  "An  adulterous 
generation  seeketh  after  a  sign,  and  a  sign  shall  not  be 
given  it  but  the  sign  of  Jonas  the  prophet.  For,  as  Jonas 
was  in  the  whale's  belly  three  days  and  three  nights,  so 
shall  the  Son  of  man  be  in  the  heart  of  the  earth  three 
days  and  three  nights."  Jonas  is  also  a  type  of  our  Lord 
in  other  ways.  He  was  sent  not  only  to  the  Jews  but  also 
to  the  Gentiles:  our  Lord  came  and  died  for  both  Jews  and 
Gentiles.  Jonas  offered  himself  up  to  die  of  his  free-will, 
to  appease  God's  anger,  and  save  his  fellow  passengers.  Our 
Lord  went  willingly  to  death,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  divine 
justice,  and  save  us,  His  brethren,  from  eternal  death. 

Revelation  to  the  Gentiles.  God  showed  mercy  to  the  Gentiles  and 
manifested  Himself  to  them.  The  sojourn  of  Jacob  and  his  descendants 
in  Egypt,  as  also  Moses's  great  miracles  in  the  desert,  had  served  to 


336  CHAPTER  LXVII. 

make  God  more  or  less  known  among  the  Gentiles.  Elias  was  sent  to 
Sarepta,  and  there  worked  miracles  in  God's  name  among  the  heathen. 
Eliseus  cured  the  Syrian,  Naaman,  and  thereby  made  known  God's 
almighty  power  to  the  pagan  Syrians.  Jonas  was  sent  by  God  to 
the  greatest  city  of  the  pagan  world  to  preach  penance  to  its  in- 
habitants, and  make  known  to  them  the  Omnipotence,  Justice,  and 
Mercy  of  the  unseen  God. 

Relapse  into  sin.  Two  hundred  years  after,  when  the  Ninivites 
had  returned  to  their  former  state  of  wickedness,  and,  this  time, 
remained  impenitent,  God's  threatened  judgment  fell  on  them.  The 
abominable  city  was  entirely  destroyed  and  levelled  to  the  ground, 
606  B.  C.     This  shows  us    how  dangerous  it  is  to  fall  back  into  sin. 

Cruelty  to  animals.  God  showed  mercy  even  to  the  beasts  in 
Ninive,  for  they  too  are  his  creatures.  How  good  it  would  be  if  men 
would  take  pity  on  beasts,  and  refrain  from  ill-treating  them. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  take  compassion  on  your  unfortunate  fellow 
creatures  ?  Do  you  do  your  best  to  comfort  them  and  help 
them?  Or  do  you  rejoice  when  any  evil  or  punishment 
overtakes  them?     Are  you  ever  cruel  to  animals? 

Are  you  sorry  for  your  sins?  What  have  you  done  to 
make  satisfaction  for  them?  You  could  very  wTell  forego 
some  pleasure  at  times,  or  deny  yourself  in  eating,  and 
offer  these  acts  of  self-denial  to  God  as  a  penance  for  your 
sins.  Try  every  day  to  arouse  feelings  of  compunction  in 
your  heart! 

FINAL  OVERTHROW  OF  THE  KINGDOM 
OF  ISRAEL  (718  B.  C). 


Chapter  LXVII. 
TOBIAS  DURING  THE   CAPTIVITY  OF  BABYLON. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

THE  Lord  ceased  not  to  send  to  the  Israelites  holy  pro- 
phets who  preached  penance  to  them  both  by  word  and 
example  1.  But  the  Israelites  would  not  be  converted 2,  and 
their  wickedness  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  the  Al- 
mighty resolved  to  punish  them  in  His  wrath,   and  utterly 


{ 


TOBIAS  DURING  THE  CAPTIVITY  OF  BABYLON.  337 

to  destroy  them.  He  therefore  caused  Salmanazar,  king  of 
Assyria,  to  come  against  them  with  a  mighty  army.  He 
laid  siege  to  the  strong  city  of  Samaria3,  and  after  three 
years  took  it,  and  carried  off  most  of  its  inhabitants4,  and 
thus  the  kingdom  of  Israel  ceased  to  exist5. 

The  Israelites  having  been  slain  or  carried  off  into  captivity,.'- 
their  land  had  become  almost  a  wilderness 6,  and  the  Assyrian! 
king,  in  order  to  people  it  again,  sent  thither  thousands  ofj 
his  pagan  subjects,  who,  settling  amongst  the  scattered 
remains  of  the  ten  tribes,  were  soon  so  mixed  up  with  them) 
that  they  became,  as  it  were,  a  new  nation,  and  scarcely, 
a  trace  remained  of  the  people  of  Israel. 

Those  of  this  mixed  race  who  settled  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  country  were  called  Galileans;  those  who  lived  in 
the  south  were  called  Samaritans,  from  Samaria,  the  ancient 
capital  of  the  kingdom;  and  those  who  dwelt  beyond  the 
Jordan  were  called  Pereans.  The  religion  of  these  districts 
was  a  mixture  of  Judaismvand  Paganism  7 ;  hence  they  hated 
the  two  tribes  of  Juda  and  Benjamin,  who  had  remained 
true  to  the  old  religion. 

1  Among  these  prophets  were  Qsee  and  Amos,  who  announced  the 
judgments  of  God  which  were  to  come.  —  *Tney  lived  according  to\ 
their  evil  passions,  and  gave  themselves  over  to  all  manner  of  vices.J 
The  prophet  Osee  (4,  2  and  11)  thus  describes  the  moral  condition 
of  the  people:  "Cursing,  and  lying,  and  killing,  and  theft,  and  adultery /^ 
have  overflowed.  Wine  and  drunkenness  take  away  the  understanding." 
Sedition,  regicide  and  civil  war  became  more  and  more  common.  — 
3  He  encamped  all  round  the  town,  so  that  no  necessaries  of  life  could 
be  brought  to  it.  —  4  Imagine  to  yourselves  with  what  tears  and 
aching  hearts  they  must  have  left  their  homes.  Now,  no  doubt,  they 
repented  of  their  sins  and  deplored  their  blindness;  but  it  was  too  late. 
The  Israelites  were  divided  among  the  towns  in  Northern  Assyria,  and 
were  much  hampered  in  the  free  practice  of  their  religion.  —  5  being 
merged  in  the  Assyrian  Empire.  —  6  because  its  inhabitants  were 
yery  few,  and  the  land  only  partially  cultivated.  —  7  They  worshipped 
/false  gods  at  the  same  time  that  they  worshipped  the  Almighty.  It 
lwas  only  later  that  they  abandoned  idolatry,  and  built  a  temple  to 
J  the  Lord  on  Mount  Garizim,  near  Sichar. 

Those  who  were  taken  captive  to  Assyria  never  returned 
to  their  own  country.   Still  God  did  not  fail  to  give  numerous 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  15 


338  CHAPTER  LXVII. 

proofs  of  His  watchful  care  over  those  unhappy  exiles.  One 
of  the  most  remarkable  of  these  instances  is  found  in  the 
fhistory  of  the  good  Tobias8.  When  he  was  in  his  own 
I  country,  and  in  his  earliest  years,  Tobias  never  associated 
/with  the  wicked;  never  went  to  adore  the  golden  calf,  but 
(kept  the  law  of  the  Lord  exactly9. 

Hence,  God  protected  him  in  the  land  of  captivity,  and 
caused  him  to  find  favour  in  the  sight  of  Salmanazar,  who 
allowed  him  to  go  wherever  he  wished.  He  went,  accordingly 
to  all  his  fellow  captives,  consoling  and  encouraging  them. 
He  shared  with  them  all  he  possessed,  fed  them  when  they 
were  hungry,  and  clothed  them  when  naked.  His  life  was 
spent  in  such  works  of  charity. 

8  He  lived  in  Ninive,  the  capital  of  Assyria.  —  9  Although  he 
lived  in  Israel,  and  not  Juda,  he  did  not  go  to  Bethel  to  worship  the 
golden  calf  as  did  most  of  his  fellow  countrymen.  He  faithfully 
observed  all  the  rules  laid  down  for  the  worship  of  God,  and  for 
the  offering  of  sacrifices. 

King  Salmanazar  being  dead,  Sennacherib,   his   son,   who 

succeeded  him  on  the  throne,  was  not  so  favourable  to  Tobias, 

and  put  many  of  the  Israelites  to  death  10.  But  Tobias,  fearing 

God  more  than  the  king,  hid  the  bodies  of  his  brethren  in  his 

house,   and  buried  them  by  night.     The  king,  having  heard 

this,  sentenced  Tobias  to  d^ath,  and  tp^k  jwayt%ll^^j£opertv. 

Tobias  lied  with  his  wife  and  son,  and  remained  concealed 

i  in  a  place  of  safety,  till  the  death  of  the  wicked  king,  who 

\  forty  days  later  was  killed  by  his  own  sons.     Then  Tobias 

#  returned,  and  all  his  property   was   restored   to   him.     But 

the  persecution  against   the  Israelites   was   still   raging,   so 

Tobias  resumed   his   former  works  of  charity,   relieving  the 

distressed,  and  burying  the  dead. 

Coming  home  one  day  very  much  fatigued,  he  lay  down 
near  the  wall  and  fell  asleep.  While  he  was  sleeping,  the 
hot  dung  from  a  swallow's  nest  fell  on  his  eyes  and  made 
him  blind11.  This  was  a  great  affliction,  but  it  did  not  prevent 
Tobias  from  fearing  and  blessing  God,  and  thanking  Bun 
for  all  his  mercies,  even  for  this  new  trial.  Now^Anna,  his 
wife,  was  his  only   support.     She   went   out   everyday   to 


TOBIAS  DURING  THE  CAPTIVITY  OF  BABYLON.  339 

work,  and  by  her  hard  earnings  kept  her  husband  from 
want.  On  one  occasion,  Anna  received  a  young  kid  for 
v,the  labour  of  her  hands,  and  she  brought  it  home.  Now 
Tobias,  hearing  it  bleat,  was  afraid,  and  said:  "Take  heed, 
lest  perhaps  it  be  stolen12;  restore  it  to  its  owner."  He 
questioned  Anna  as  to  how  she  got  the  kid.  Now  Anna 
was  a  good  and  virtuous  woman,  but  this  suspicion  of  her 
husband  roused  her  to  anger.  She  replied  very  sharply,  and^ 
made  use  of  words  that  were  aggravating  to  her  husband  13.j 
Tobias,  however,  only  sighed  and  began  to  pray. 

10  In  revenge  for  a  great  defeat  he  had  suffered  before  Jerusalem 
(as  will  be  told  in  Chapt.  LXXIII).  When  Sennacherib  learnt  that 
Tobias  buried  the  dead,  he  gave  orders  for  him  to  be  put  to  death. 
Tobias,  however,  hid  himself  and  continued  to  bury  the  dead.  — 
n  Inflammation  set  in  and  blindness  ensued.  This  was  a  severe  trial 
for  Tobias;  however  he  did  not  complain,  but,  like  Job,  daily  thanked 
God  for  even  the  sufferings  sent  to  him.  —  ,2  He  had  reasons  for 
doubting  the  honesty  of  the  giver  of  the  kid.  —  13  reproaching  him 
for  having  given  away  all  his  substance. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  Patience^  qn^  Justice  of  God.  God  was  very  patient  with 
His  ungrateful  people.  He  continued  to  send  prophets  who, 
in  stirring  language,  pointed  out  to  the  people  their  ingrati- 
tude and  faithlessness  towards  God,  and  graphically  described 
the  judgments  which  would  overtake  them.  For  two  hundred  » 
vears^md  jmn^^  '' 

tribulations  inthenopeof  bringing  them  back  to  Him,  but ' 
all  in  vain!  Ninive  did  penance,  but  Israel  remained  im- 
penitent! At  last,  Almighty  God's  patience  was  exhausted, 
His  judgment  fell,  and  the  faithless  kingdom  of  Israel  came 
to  an  end!  "Justice  exalteth  a  nation:  but  sin  maketh  nations 
miserable"  (Prov.  14,  34).  A 

God's  MercujmdJjVisdom.  Even  in  His  punishments,  God 
showed  mercy.  As  a  nation,  Israel  was  overthrown,  but  the 
punishment  served  for  the  conversion  of  individuals.  The 
Israelites  had  been  driven  from  the  land  of  their  fathers, 
they  were  scattered  and  homeless,  living  among  strangers,  and 
earning  a  livelihood  by  hard  work,  being  all  the  while  sorely 
oppressed.  In  their  necessity  many  turned  c^ntj^tejy^ojtgd, 

15* 


340  CHAPTER  LXVII. 

acknowledged  His  just  judgments,   and  found  all  their  con- 
solation in  the   hope  of  the  promised  Redeemer.     In  them 
were  fulfilled   the   words  of  the  prophet  Jeremias  (2,    19): 
A"Know  thou   and   see  that  it  is  an  evil  and  a  bitter  thing 
for  thee  to  have  left  the  Lord  thy  God."    For  the  kingdom 
of  Assyria  also,  the  dispersion  of  Israel  was  a  great  blessing. 
/Through  the  Israelites  living  in  their  midst  the  pagans  learnt 
•jto  know  the  true  and   unseen  God,   and   the   promised  Re- 

Ifdeemer,  for  Whose  coming  they  were,  therefore,  prepared. 
Thus,  by  God's  providence,  even  the  sin  of  Israel  and  its 
punishment  served  for  a  good  end. 
*  The  Faithfulness  of  God.  That  which  God  had  threatened 
a  hundred  years  before  was  brought  to  pass.  The  impenitent 
kingdom  of  Israel  was  merged  in  the  great  Assyrian  Empire, 
and  ceased  to  be  an  independent  state. 

The  fall  of  him  who  resits  ltq£qpe.  The  history  of  Israel 
is  the  counterpart  of  the  history  of  every  impenitent  sinner. 
What  happened  to  the  people  of  Israel  when  they  broke 
their  covenant  with  God,  is  repeated  in  the  case  of  very 
many  Christians,  who  do  not  keep  their  baptismal  vows.  By 
the  mouth  of  His  priests,  and  by  the  voice  of  their  own 
consciences,  God  exhorts  sinners  to  be  converted  and  do 
penance.  He  reminds  them  of  the  terrors  of  the  judgment 
and  the  torments  of  hell.  But,  alas,  many  sinners  will  not 
believe,  and  take  these  solemn  truths  oJj[ajtlijojM^ 
Often  God  visits  sinners  with  sickness  or  misfortunes,  but  the 
amendment  of  life  which  these  may  produce  lastsjbut  ajsliort 
.  time.  Hardly  is  the  trouble  removed  before  the  sinner  turn* 
away  again  from  God  and  commits  fresh  sins.  God  will  bear 
with  him  for  a  long  time,  seeking  to  bring  him  back  to  Him, 
but,  at  last,  His  patience  is  exhausted,  the  time  of  grace 
is  past,  and  God  calls  the  impenitent  sinner  before  His 
judgment-seat,  and  gives  him  over  to  the  power  of  the 
enemy.  The  sinful  soul  is  damned,  and  thrust  for  ever  out 
of  its  heavenly  home,  to  suffer  hopelessly,  in  captivity,  the 
unbearable  torments  of  hell.  There,  indeed,  he  at  last 
recognizes  his  folly  and  blindness,  and  bitterly  rues  liis  sin 
and  impenitence.    But  it  is  too  late! 


TOBIAS  DURING  THE  CAPTIVITY  OF  BABYLON.  341 

Let  us  see  what  virtues  Tobias  exercised: 

Above  all,  piety.  He  loved  God  from  his  youth  up,  prayed 
willingly,  and  faithfully  fulfilled  all  his  religious  duties. 
The  foundations  of  piety  are  laid  in  youth. 

Then,  he  evinced  the  most  sincere,  practical,  and  universal 
brother} y  love.  His  love  was  universal,  for  he  did  not  show 
it  towards  his  friends  only,  but  towards  all  who  were  in 
^3*  want,  especially  Israelites.  His  love  was  pr^ctica^  for  he 
sought  out  the  needy,  even  sacrificing  health  and  fortune 
in  order  to  help  them.  He  consoled,  instructed,  and  supnorted 
all  whom  he  could,  and  practised  works  of  mercy  towards 
the  living  and  the  dead.  He  dideyer^hing^n^ecretj  and 
sought  his  own  glory  in  nothingr±le  asUed  for  no  reward 
from  man,  for  no  thanks,  no  honours.  This  proves  that  his 
love  was  sincere. 

Moreover  Tobias  evinced  great  fortitude.  He  did  not  shrink 
from  the  perils  and  labour  of  long  journeys,  nor  did  he  fear 
the  anger  of  the  king.  He  exposed  himself  to  every  danger 
to  help  the  "needy,  and  bury  the  dead. 

He  also  exercised  the  virtue  of  justice,  by  conscientiously 
performing  his  duty  towards  God  anT  man.  This  rudimen- 
tary virtue  of  justice  proceeded  from  his  uprightness,  which 
made  him,  though  poor,  refuse  any  reward  which  he  had 
not  justly  earned.  He  said  to  himself:  "If  the  person  who 
gave  us  this  kid,  stole  it,  it  is  not  his  property,  and  he  has  ^ 
no  right  to  give  it;  and  as  for  me,  I  may  neither  buy  nor 
receive  as  a  gift  any  stolen  goods." 

Patience  in  suffering  is  the  fruit  of  faith.  Tobias  was  specially 
distinguished  for  his  great  patience  and  resignation  under 
suffering.  He  did  not  murmur  against  God,  or  say  to  himself: 
"  What  have  I  done  to  deserve  these  trials?  Have  I  not  feared. 
God  from  my  youth  up  ?  "  No,  he  accepted  his  trials  humbly,  as  a 
punishment  for  his  own  sins  and  those  of  his  people  (Tob.  3, 
2  f.);  he  thanked  God  for  them,  and  set  all  his  hopes  on  a  future 
life.  "For  we  are  the  children  of  the  saints ",  said  he,  "andi 
look  for  that  life  which  God  will  give  to  those  that  never 
change  their  faith  in  Him"  (Tob.  2,  18).  The  belief  in  a  future 
reward   comforted   him   and   supported  him  in  the  midst  of 


342  CHAPTER  LXV1I. 

his  tribulations.  Faith  makes  people  patient  and  contented 
under  suffering;  but  a  man  without  faith  is  without  com- 
fort in  tribulation,  and  without  hope  in  death.  Poor,  un- 
fortunate man! 

The  object  of  suffering.  Why  did  God  permit  so  many 
troubles  to  overtake  the  holy,  faithful  Tobias?  The  Angel 
Raphael  explained  the  reason  when  he  said  to  him :  "  Be- 
cause thou  wast  acceptable  to  God,  it  was  necessary  that 
temptation  should  prove  thee"  (Tob.  12,  13).  Suffering, 
therefore,  was  intended  to  serve  as  a  probation  of  Tobias, 
and  to  give  him  the  opportunity  of  practising  patience,  and 
gaining  more  merit.  Holy  Scripture  offers  a  further  explanation 
of  the  reason  for  this  holy  man's  tribulations  in  the  following 
^passage:  "Now  this  trial  (of  blindness)  the  Lord  therefore 
permitted  to  happen  to  him,  that  an  example  might  be  given  to 
posterity  of  his  patience,  as  in  the  case  of  holy  Job"  (Tob.  2, 12). 

The  bodies  of  the  dead  are  worthy  of  reverence.  Why  did  Tobias 
expose  himself  to  such  great  danger  in  order  to  bury  mere  dead 
bodies?  He  knew  and  believed  that  man  is  an  image  of  God,  so  he 
could  not  endure  the  thought  that  men's  bodies  should  lie  uncared 
for,  to  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts.  The  bodies  of  Christians,  further- 
more, are  the  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  sanctified  by  the 
reception  of  the  holy  sagraments.  For  this  reason  they  are  buried  in 
consecrated  ground. 

Lawful  obedience.  Was  it  not  wrong  of  Tobias  to  continue  to  bury 
| the  dead  after  Sennacherib  had  forbidden  it?  No,  it  was  rather 
/Sennacherib  who  did  wrong  in  ordering  the  dead  bodies  to  be  left 
Junburied,  for  God  had  commanded,  writing  it  on  men's  hearts,  that 
/the  bodies  of  the  dead  should  be  treated  reverently,  and  buried. 

ill.  Application. 

Dear  children,  none  of  you  would  wish  to  suffer  eternally, 
to  be  shut  out  forever  from  the  presence  of  God,  and  banished 
from  heaven.  Lay  to  heart,  therefore,  the  teaching  and  holy 
exhortations  which  you  receive,  obey  God's  grace,  avoid  sin, 
and  do  heartfelt  penance  for  the  sins  you  have  heretofore 
committed. 

Do  you  think  any  one  will  ever  be  able  to  say  of  you: 
"He  has  from  his  youth  up  observed  the  commandments  of 
God,  and  avoided  the  society  of  the  wicked"? 


PARTING  ADVICE  OF  TOBIAS  TO  HIS  SON,  &c.  343 

Do  you  possess  any  ill-gotten  goods  ?  Have  you  ever  taken 
anything,  even  a  trifle  such  as  a  picture,  a  pen,  or  an 
apple,  from  any  one?  Give  it  back  at  once,  or  if  you  no 
longer  possess  it,  make  compensation  for  it?  Do  you  ever 
take  sugar  &c.  from  your  parents'  stores?  What  a  shame 
for  a  child  to  steal  from  his  own  parents! 

Even  you  could  practise  many  works  of  mercy.  Do  you 
look  after  your  sick  comrades?  Do  you  pray  for  the  holy 
souls?  You  could  prevent  many  a  sin  by  gently  appealing 
to  the  consciences  of  your  comrades,  or  brothers  and  sisters, 
showing  them  what  they  ought  to  do. 

Chapter  LXYIII. 

PARTING  ADVICE  OF  TOBIAS  TO  HIS  SON. 
DEPARTURE  OF  YOUNG  TOBIAS. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

TOBIAS,  seeing  himself  surrounded  by  so  many  miseries, 
thought  he  could  not  live  much  longer.  He,  therefore, 
called  his  son,  and  said :  "My  son,  when  God  shall  take  my  soul, 
thou  shalt  bury  my  body ;  and  thou  shalt  honour  thy  mother 
all  the  days  of  her  life ;  for  thou  must  be  mindful  what  and 
how  great  perils  she  has  suffered  for  thee 1.  And  when  she 
also  shall  have  ended  the  time  of  her  life,  bury  her  by  me. 

"And  all  the  days  of  thy  life  have  God  in  tjrv^mindj^^ 
and  take  heed  thou  never  consent  to  sin 3,  nor  transgress 
the  commandments  of  the  Lord  our  God.  Give  alms  out 
of  thy  substance,  and  turn  not  thy  face  away  from  any 
poor  person.  If  thou  hast  much,  give  abundantly;  if  thou 
have  little,  take  care  even  so  to  bestow  willingly  a  little. 
For  alms  deliver  from  sin  and  death,  and  will  not  suffer 
the  soul  to  go  into  darkness.  Take  heed  to  keep  thyself, 
my  son,  from  all  fornication. 

"Never  suffer  pride  to  reign  in  thy  mind,  nor  in  thy  word,^A 
for  from  it  all  perdition  took  its  beginning i.     If  any   man 
has  done  work  for  thee,  pay  him  his  hire.    See  thou  never 
do  to  another  what  thou  wouldst  hate  to  have  done  to  thee 
by  another.    Bless  God  at  all  times  5,  and  desire  of  him  to 


344  CHAPTER  LXVI11. 

direct  thy  ways 6,  and   that   all   thy  counsels  may  abide  in 
Him."  7 
, .  ^  Tlien  the  son  answered,  saying:  "I  will  do  all  these  things, 
father,  which  thou  hast  commanded  me." 

1  Peril  to  life  and  health.  A  child  comes  helpless  into  the  world, 
and  for  many  years  requires  much  care  on  the  part  of  its  mother. 
A  mother  has  to  endure  much  for  the  sake  of  her  children:  pain, 
sleepless  nights,  anxiety,  care,  labour  and  fatigue.  —  2  fearing  Him 
and  loving  Him.  —  3  i.  e.  to  sin  wilfully.  —  4  Both  the  fallen  angels 
and  our  first  parents  sinned  through  pride.  —  5  in  health  and  in 
sickness,  in  prosperity  and  adversity.  —  6  "that  His  providence  may 
watch  over  you,  and  may  keep  you  in  the  way  of  His  commandments." 
—  7  "Fear  not,  my  son,"  he  added;  "we  lead  indeed  a  poor  life; 
but  we  shall  have  many  good  things  (grace  and  consolations  on  earth 
and  eternal  glory  in  heaven),  if  we  fear  God  and  depart  from  all 
sin;  and  do  that  which  is  good." 

Tobias,  having  thus  advised  his  son,  sent  him  to  Rages8, 
a  distant  city,  to  collect  a  debt  of  long  standing 9.  And  the 
young  Tobias,  not  knowing  the  road,  went  out  to  seek  a 
guide  who  would  show  him  the  way. 

He  had  not  gone  far  when  he  met  a  beautiful  young  man, 
standing  ready  girt  as  for  a  journey.  It  was  the  Archangel 
Raphael10.  Tobias  did  not  know  who  the  young  man  was, 
.Abut  he  addressed  him,  saying:  "Good  young  man,  knowest 
thou  the  way  that  leadeth  to  the  country  of  the  Medes?" 
The  Angel  answered:  "I  know  it."  Then  the  young  Tobias 
introduced  him  to  his  father,  who  asked  him:  "Canst  thou 
conduct  my  son  to  Gabelus,  at  Rages?" 

The  young  man  replied:  "I  will  conduct  him  thither,  and 

bring  him  back  to  thee."    Then  Tobias  blessed  the  two  young 

.men,  praying:    "May   you   have  a  good  journey;   may  God 

^   be  with  you  on  your  way,  and  may  His   angel    accompany 

„you."  n     Then  they  both  set  out  on  their  journey,  and  the 

I  dog  followed  them.     But  his  mother  wept  and  said  to   her 

] husband:  "Thou  hast  taken  the  staff  of  our  old  age,  and  hast 

"*  sent  him  away." 

On  the  evening  of  the  first  day  the  travellers  reached 
the  banks  of  the  river  Tigris.  Tobias,  heated  and  warm, 
sat  down  on  the  bank  and  put  his  feet  into  the  water12. 


PARTING  ADVICE  OF  TOBIAS  TO  HIS  SON,  &c.  345 


Suddenly  an  enormous  fish  came  up  to  devour  him13.  Tobias 
cried  out  to  the  Angel:  "Sir,  he  cometh  upon  me!"  The 
Angel,  seeing  his  terror,  exclaimed:  "Take  him  by  the  gill 
and  draw  him  to  thee."  He  did  so,  and  when  the  fish  lay 
panting  before  his  feet,  the  Angel  said:  "Take  out  his  heart, 
his  gall  and  his  liver,  for  these  are  useful  medicines."  Then, 
making  a  fire,  Tobias  broiled  some  of  the  fish  which  furnished 
a  repast;  then  he  salted  a  portion  of  what  remained,  to 
serve  as  provision  for  the  journey. 

When  they  came  to  a  certain  city,  Tobias  said  to  his 
guide:  "Where  wilt  thou  that  we  lodge?"  The  Angel 
answered:  "There  is  here  a  man  named  Raguel,  a  kinsman 
of  thy  tribe,  who  has  a  daughter  named  Sara:  and  thou 
must  take  her  to  wife."  Tobias  replied:  "I  hear  that  she* ' 
hath  been  given  to  seven  husbands,  and  they  all  died,  and 
a  devil  killed  each  of  them  on  the  night  of  his   wedding. "Sf 

Tobias  said  this,  because  he  was  the  only  son  of  his  aged 
parents,  and  if  such  a  misfortune  should  befall  him,  it 
would  bring  down  their  old  age  with  sorrow  to  the  grave. 

15** 


346  CHAPTER  LXVIII. 

The  Angel  answered  that  the  devil  had  such  power  over 
those  who  in  their  marriage  banish  God  from  their  heart, 
and  think  only  of  gratifying  their  passions.  "But  thou," 
me  continued,  "when  thou  shalt  take  her14,  give  thyself  for 
three  days  to  nothing  else  than  to  prayer;  then  the  devil 
shall  be  driven  away,  and  you  shall  obtain  a  blessing." 

Having   entered  into   the   house  of  Raguel,  Tobias  made 

himself  known,  and  was  warmly  received  by  Raguel,  as  the 

son  of  an.  old  friend  and  of  a   most   worthy   man.     At  the 

same  time  Anna,  the  wife  of  Raguel,  and  Sara,  his  daughter, 

wept  for  joy.    They  then  prepared  a  repast  for  the  travellers, 

and  Liaguel   prayed  them  to  sit  down  to  eat.     Tobias  told 

him  that  he  would  neither  eat  nor   drink   till   he    promised 

to  give  him  Sara,  his  daughter,  in  marriage. 

r  Raguel   seemed  to   hesitate,  but  the  Angel  told  him   not 

\to  be  afraid  to  give   his  daughter  to   the   young   man,  for 

jthat  he  feared  the  Lord.    Then  Raguel  consented,  and  taking 

(his  daughter's  right  hand,  placed  it  in  that  of  Tobias,  saying  : 

j"The  God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 

I  Jacob  be  with  you ;   may  he  join  you  together,  and  fulfil 

\{iis  blessing  in  you." 

Then  they  sat  down  to  eat.  And  Tobias  and  Sara  spent 
three  days  in  prayer,  after  which  the  devil  had  no  power 
:o  harm  them.  Then,  at  the  request  of  Tobias,  the  Angel 
look  the  note  of  hand,  went  to  the  country  of  the  -Medes, 
jollected  the  money  from  Gabelus,  and  returned  with  Gabelus 
:o  be  present  at  the  wedding. 

Gabelus  came  with  great  joy,  and  when  he  saw  the  young 

husbanc[Jie^ went  and  embraced  him,  saying:  "The  God  of 

Israel  bless  thee,  because  thou  art  the  son  of  a  very  good 

and  just  man,  and  that  feareth  God,  and  doeth  alms-deeds. 

And  may  a  blessing  come  upon  thy  wife." 

8  This  town  is  900  miles  east  of  Ninive.  —  9  When  Tobias  was 
rich  he  had  lent  a  considerable  sum  of  money  to  a  poor  Israelite, 
without  charging  any  interest.  —  ,0  who  had  assumed  the  form  of 
a  noble  looking  youth.  —  "He  had  no  suspicion  that  his  pious 
prayer  had  been  answered  even  before  it  was  uttered.  —  12  to  wash 
»>lf  the    dust.   —   ,3  It  opened  wide  its  jaws,  as  if   it  were  going-    to 


PARTING  ADVICE  OF  TOBIAS  TO  HIS  SON,  &c.  347 

devour  Tobias.  —  M  when  she  has  given  herself  to  be  thy  wife  and 
thou  hast  married  her. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  elder  Tobias  is  the  model  of  a  ng^^  fgtfwr.  By  word 
and  example  he  brought  up  his  son  from  his  earliest  youth 
in  the  fear  of  God.  When  the  time  came  that  he  expected 
to  die,  he  forcibly  reiterated  the  most  important  points  of 
his  teaching,  and  his  exhortations  must  have  made  all  the 
greater  impression  on  the  son,  because  the  father  preached 
nothing  that  he  had  not  himself  constantly  practised.  Tobias^ 
cared  for  the  salvation  of  his  son's  soul  more  than  anything] 
and  therefore  he  admonished  him  above  all  things  to  avoid/ 
sin  and  especially  to  cultivate  the  virtues  of  filial  piety,  the* 
fear  of  God,  justice,  brotherly  love,  gentleness  and  a  greau 
confidence  in  God.  V. 

The  younger  Tobias  is  the  model  of  a  (food  son.  He  listened 
eagerly  to  his  father's  beautiful  exhortations,  and  made  this 
promise:  "I  will  do  all  these  things,  father,  which  thou  hast 
commanded  me."  He  kept  this  promise  most  faithfully,  as 
you  will  see  by  what  follows.  If  a  child  does  not  receive 
his  parents'  advice  willingly,  he  sins  against  that  obedience 
which  he  owes  them. 

The  connexion  between  the  First  and  Fourth  Commandments. 
Tobias's  exhortation  shows  us  how  very  important  the 
observance  of  the  Fourth  Commandment  is  for  children.  Does 
it  not  strike  you  as  strange  that  his  first  exhortation  should 
be:  "Honour  thy  mother  &c."  and  that  he  should  only  say 
afterwards:  "Have  God  in  thy  mind  &c. ?"  There  is  a  reasoi 
for  this,  because  reverence  for  parents  is,  so  to  speak,  at  the) 
root  of  religion  and  of  the  fear  of  God.  He  who  does  not  lov 
and  honour  his  parents,  who  are  his  visible  benefactors,  wil] 
not  love  and  honour  God,  Who  is  his  invisible  Father  an( 
Benefactor.  That  son  who  does  not  observe  the  Fourtl 
Commandment,  is  an  ungrateful  and  irreligious  man. 

Defrauding  of  wages.  Among  his  other  exhortations  Tobias 
said  to  his  son:  "If  any  man  has  done  work  for  thee,  pay 
him  his  hire."  This  is  a  duty  of  justice.  He  who  does  not 
give  his  promised  wages  to  the  labourer,  that  lives  by  the 


348  CHAPTER  LXIX. 

work  of  his  hands,  commits  one  of  the  four  sins  which  cry 
to  heaven  for  vengeance. 

Death  is  the  separationj^soul  and  body.    Tobias  said  to 

A  his  son:    "When  God   shall   take  my  soul,  thou  shalt  bury 

!     my  body."   By  death  the  soul  is  parted  from  the  body,  and 

God  calls  it  before  Him  to  be  judged.    The  body,  meanwhile, 

returns  to  the  earth,  until  God  shall  raise  it  up  at  the  last 

day,  and  re-unite  it  for  ever  to  the  body. 

The  en wniesjpf^ °^r  souls  are  all  those  things  which  lead 
to  mortal  sin.  They  who  commit  grievous  sins  are  enemies 
not  only  to  God  and  their  neighbour,  but  also  to  their  own 
soul;  because  they  rob  it  of  God's  grace,  and  plunge  it  into 
everlasting  ruin. 

Preparation  for  the  married  state.  The  Angel  urged  young  Tobias 
to  enter  into  the  married  state,  but  he  recommended  him  to  begin 
his  married  life  by  three  days  of  prayer.  All  those  who  wish  to 
enter  the  state  of  matrimony  ought  to  prepare  themselves  for  it  by 
prayer  and  the  sacrament ;  for  marriage  is  a  holy  state. 

III.  Application. 

Lay  to  heart  the  exhortations  of  old  Tobias  just  as  if  your 
own  father  had  spoken  them  to  you  on  his  death-bed.  Ask 
yourself  every  day  whether  you  have  acted  up  to  his  teaching. 

Have  you  always  gladly  followed  the  advice  of  your  father 
and  mother?  Are  your  parents  obliged  to  find  fault  with 
you  very  often  ?  Have  you  ever  grieved  or  angered  them  ? 
You  cannot  be  a  child  of  God  if  you  do  not  honour  and 
obey  your  parents?  Whenever  they  bid  you  do  anything, 
say  to  yourself,  in  the  words  of  the  young  Tobias :  "  I  will 
/tydo  all  these  things,  father  (or  mother),  which  thou  hast 
commanded  me." 

Chapter  LXIX. 
TOBIAS  RETURNS  HOME. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 
OURTEEN  days  had  passed  since  the  marriage  of  Tobias, 


F 


and  his  parents  at  home  began  to  be  exceedingly  sad, 
and  they  wept  together  because  their  son  did  not  return. 
But  his  mother  was  quite  disconsolate,  and  she  groaned  and 


TOBIAS  RETURNS  HOME.  349 

sighed:  "Woe,  woe  is  me,  my  son,  why  did  we  send  thee  to, ,, 
a  strange  country;  the  light  of  our  eyes,  the  staff  of  our 
old  age,  the  comfort  of  our  life,  the  hope  of  our  posterity!" 
Then  Tobias  said  to  her:  "Hold  thy  peace,  our  son  is  safe." 
Yet  she  would  not  be  comforted,  but  went  out  into  all  the 
ways  that  she  might  see  him  coming  afar  off. 

Now  Tobias  the  younger  said  to  Raguel:  "I  know  that 
my  parents  count  the  days,  and  their  spirit  is  afflicted  with- 
in them."  1  However,  Raguel  pressed  him  to  stay  a  little 
longer,  but  in  vain.  He  then  gave  him  Sara  his  wife,  and 
the  half  of  all  he  possessed,  saying:  "May  the  holy  angel 
of  the  Lord  be  with  you  in  your  journey,  and  bring  you 
through  safely,  and  that  you  may  find  all  things  well  about 
your  parents." 

When  the  travellers  had  made  half  the  journey  homeward, 
the  Angel  said  to  Tobias:  "Let  us  go  before  and  let  the 
family  softly  follow  after  us."2  They  did  so,  and  Raphael 
told  Tobias  to  take  with  him  the  gall  of  the  fish,  because 
it  would  be  very  useful. 

Meanwhile  Anna  sat  daily  beside  the  way  on  the  hill-top ; 
and  while  she  watched,  she  saw  him  coming  far  off.   When 
she  was  sure  that  it  was  her  son  coming,  she   ran   to    tell 
her  husband.    She  had  scarcely  done  so  when  the  dog  which  j 
had  accompanied  her   son   on  the  journey,  running   before,\ 
reached  the  house,  wagging  his  tail  and  jumping  for  joy,  as/ 
if  he  had  brought  the  news.     Thereupon,  the  elder  Tobias, j 
blind  as  he  was,  groped  his  way  and  went  out  to  meet  hisl 
son.     And  they  all  wept  for  joy.  \j 

Young  Tobias  then  rubbed  his  father's  eyes  with  the  gall 
of  the  fish,  and  he  saw3;  and  the  old  man  exclaimed:  "I 
bless  Thee,  0  Lord  God  of  Israel,  because  Thou  hast  chastised 
me,  and  Thou  hast  saved  me,  and,  behold,  I  see  Tobias,  my 
son!"  Seven^^ai^^^Yai  and  her  retinue  arrived,  and 
completedthe  joy  of  that  favoured  and  happy  household. 

1  Being  full  of  trouble  and  anxiety  about  me.  —  2  Tobias  hastened 
on  to  relieve  his  parents'  anxiety  as  soon  as  possible,  while  Sara 
travelled  after  him  more  leisurely,  with  the  servants,  camels,  flocks 
and    herds   which    her    father   had    given    her.    —    3  This    cure    was 


350  CHAPTER  LXIX. 

miraculous,  because  it  followed  immediately  after  the  application  of  the 
remedy,  and  because  this  remedy  was  unknown  before,  and  is  so  still. 

Then  the  son  related  to  his  parents  all  the  benefits  he 
had  received  from  the  young  man,  his  guide.  He  said  they 
could  never  repay  him  for  all  they  had  done  for  him,  but 
asked  his  father's  permission  to  give  him  one  half  of  the 
money  he  had  received  from  Gabelus. 

The  father  willingly  consented,  and  they  pressed  the  young 
man  to  accept  the  money.  But  the  heavenly  messenger  said 
a  to  them:  "Bless  ye  the  God  of  heaven,  and  give  glory -to 
'  Him  4  in  the  sight  of  all  that  live ;  because  He  hath  shown 
His  mercy  to  you5.  Prayer  is  good  with  fasting  and  alms, 
more  than  to  lay  up  treasures  of  gold.  When  thou  didst 
pray  with  tears,  and  didst  bury  the  dead,  I  offered  thy  prayer 
to  the  Lord. 

AA"  And  because  thou  wast  acceptable  to  God,  it  was  necessary 
that  temptation  should  prove  thee6.  The  Lord  hath  sent 
me  to  heal  thee,  and  to  deliver  Sara,  thy  son's  wife,  from 
the  devil.  For  I  am  the  Angel  Raphael,  one  of  the  seven 
who  stand  before  the  throne  of  God."7  Hearing  this8,  they 
were  seized  with  fear,  and  all  fell  prostrate  on  the  ground. 
Still  the  Angel  told  them  not  to  fear,  but  to  bless  and  thank  the 
Lord,  Who  had  sent  him  to  do  His  holy  will  in  their  regard. 

Having  spoken  thus,  he  vanished  from  their  sight,  leaving 
the  little  family  lost  in  wonder  and  full  of  gratitude  to 
God9.  The  elder  Tobias  lived  forty  two  years  after  these 
events  to  share  in  the  happiness  of  his  family,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  one  hundred  and  two  years.  Tobias,  his  son, 
lived  to  be  very  old;  he  saw  the  children  of  his  children, 
who  remained  faithful,  and  were  beloved  by  God  and  man. 

4  And  not  to  me.  —  5  The  reasons  why  God  had  shown  mercy 
to  him  are  given  in  the  words  that  follow,  "prayer  with  fasting  &c." 
—  6  to  prove  that  your  piety  and  fear  of  God  were  true,  genuine 
and  persevering.  —  7  the  seven  who  serve  the  Lord,  and  are  always 
ready  to  carry  out  God's  gracious  designs  regarding  men.  Michael, 
Gabriel  and  Raphael  are  Archangels.  —  8  The  thought  that  one  of 
God's  great  angels  should  have  visited  them,  filled  them  with  a  holy 
awe.  —  9  After  the  Angel's  disappearance  kjiey  remained  on  their, 
faces  for  three  hours,  praising  God. 


TOBIAS  RETURNS  HOME.  351 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Goodness  of  God.  This  story  of  Tobias  shows  us  most 
clearly  how  good  God  is  to  His  servants.  He  gave  old  Tobias 
a  good  son ;  He  sent  His  Angel  in  the  form  of  a  man  to  guide 
him:  He  gave  the  son  a  rich  and  virtuous  wife;  He  cured 
the  father,  granted  him  a  happy  old  age  in  the  midst  of 
God-fearing  children  and  grand-children,  and  blessed  his 
family  for  many  generations.  God  changed  Tobias's  suffering 
to  great  joy;  for  who  could  describe  the  father's  happiness 
when,  after  four  years  of  blindness,  he  once  more  saw  standing/ 
before  him  his  beloved  son,  on  whose  account  he  had  enduredl 
slTmuclT  anxiet^  he  had  gone  through  made 

his  present  joy  all  the  greater.  God  sends  tribulations  to^ 
the  just,  in  order  that  He  may  reward  their  patience  with; 
great  joys,  given  often  in  this  world,  but  anyhow  in  heaven i 
AAThe  blessings  brought  by  piety.  St.  Paul  (1  Tim.  4,  8)^ 
writes  thus:  "Godliness  is  profitable  in  all  things,  having^ 
the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which  is 
to  come."  Piety  made  old  Tobias  a  good  father,  training 
his  son  in  virtue;  it  kept  him  from  sin,  and  urged  him  to 
the  ceaseless  practice  of  good  works;  it  won  for  him  the 
^favour  of  Kjng  Salmanazar,  and  gave  him  patience  under 
his  sufferings,  filling  him  with  consolation.  Piety  made  the 
young  Tobias  to  be  an  affectionate  and  dutiful  son,  a  virtuous 
youth  and  a  holy  man,  the  joy  and  support  of  his  parents. 
It  drew  down  on  both  father  and  son  God's  protection  and 
blessing  on  earth,  and  untold  glory  in  heaven.  True  interior 
piety  cannot  be  too  highly  valued. 

The  lovev  of  parents  for  their  children  is  fully  illustrated 
by  this  story.     Also, 

The  filial  love  of  children  for  their  parents.  In  young  Tobias 
was  fulfilled  the  promise  attached  to  the  observance  of  the 
Fourth  Commandment :  "that  thy  days  may  be  long  in  the 
land  &c." 

Guardian  Angels.     This  story  fully  confirms  the  Catholic 

doctrine  about  guardian  angels.     Tobias's  parting  words  to 

Jiis  son:  "May  God's  angel  accompany  you",  plainly  show 

rhat  he  believed  in  the  protection  of  guardian   angels.     By 


352  CHAPTER  LXIX. 

Raphael's  actions  we  can  see  what  it  is  that  our  guardian 
angels  do  for  us,  since  they  do  for  us  in  an  invisible  manner 
just  what  he  did,  visibly,  for  young  Tobias.  He  guided  him, 
protected  him  on  his  long  and  perilous  journey,  showed  him 
what  was  the  right  thing  to  do,  and  prayed  for  him  and 
his  father.  This  is  what  our  guardian  angels  do  for  us. 
^  The  Angel's  words :  "  When  thou  didst  pray  with  tears,  and 
bury  the  dead,  I  offered  thy  prayer  to  the  Lord",  show  us 
plainly  that  the  holy  angels  know  all  about  our  prayers, 
sufferings  and  labours,  and  carry  our  prayers  and  good  works 
before  the  throne  of  God,  uniting  their  prayers  to  ours,  and 
interceding  for  us.  The  example  of  Tobias  shows  us  how 
we  ought  to  conduct  ourselves  towards  our  holy  guardian. 
Tobias  reverenced  the  holy  Angel,  obeyed  his  directions, 
executed  his  commands,  called  on  him  in  the  hour  of  danger, 
and  showed  him  the  most  heartfelt  gratitude. 

Humility  of  the  holy  Archangel  Raphael,  He  gave  all  the 
glory  to  God. 

Gratitude  shown  by  the  old  and  young  Tobias  towards 
their  oenefactor.  They  wished  to  give  him  half  of  what 
they  possessed.  Gratitude  is  pleasing,  whereas  everybody 
detests  ingratitude. 

Good  works.  The  Angel  of  God  praised  Tobias  on  account 
of  his  prayers,  fasting  and  alms-deeds,  thereby  putting  such 
works  before  us  as  excellent,  and  pleasing  to  God.  Under 
the  head  of  "prayer"  we  are  to  understand  all  acts  of 
worship  both  interior  and  exterior ;  for  Tobias  did  not  merely 
pray,  but  offered  sacrifice,  and  went  to  Jerusalem  for  the 
great  feasts  of  God.  Under  the  head  of  "fasting''  are  included 
all  acts  of  mortification.  Tobias  observed  antnelaws  regarding 

it    M     •     •     ■         ar      •  **•  %m»  <->  ** 

abstinence  from  certain  food:  he  shortened  his  night's  rest 
to  bury  the  dead,  and  bore  all  his  sufferings  with  patience 
and  resignation.  Under  the  head  of  alms-deeds  we  are  to 
understand  all  the  works  of  mercy  wmcnTobias  practised 
to  such  a  great  degree,  comforting  the  afflicted,  feeding  the 
hungry,  and  burying  the  dead.  Now,  why  are  t^ese^^ood 
works  enjoined  on  us  ?  ^Firstly,  because  "Ly  prayer  we  prove 
our  love  of  God,  by   fasting  our  love  of   ourselves,  ;m<l    by 


TOBIAS  RETURNS  HOME.  353 

alms-deeds  our  love  of  our  neighbour.  Secondly,  because 
these  three  good  works,  united,  represent  the  most^  perfect 
offering  which  we  can  make  to  God,  for  by  prayer  we  offer 
Him* our  soul,  by  fasting,  our  body,  and  by  alms,  all  we 
possess.  .  Thirdly,  because  these  three  good  works  are  the 
best  weapons  against  our  three  enemies:  by  prayer  we  can 
]  fight  against  pride,  by  fasting,  against  the  lust  of  the  flesh, 
I  and  by  alms-deeds,  against  the  lust  of  the  eye. 
\+  Imperishable,  treasures.  Why  is  "prayer,  with  fasting  and 
alms,  better  than  laying  up  treasures  of  gold"?  Because 
gold  and  earthly  treasures  can  be  taken  away  from  us,  and 
must  inevitably  be  taken  away  by  death,  whereas  our  prayers 
and  other  meritorious  works  are  real  treasures  which  no  one 
can  take  away  from  us,  but  which  will  go  into  eternity 
with  us,  and  obtain  for  us  a  favourable  judgment.  Earthly 
treasures  make  it  difficult  to  die,  but  heavenly  treasures 
make  it  easy.  Therefore,  our  Divine  Saviour  says:  "Lay  up 
for  yourselves  treasures  in  heaven"  (New  Test.  XXI). 

The  prayer  of  praise  and  thanksgiving.  A  great  many 
men  err  by  offering  up  only  prayers  of  petition,  quite 
neglecting  either  to  praise  or  thank  Almighty  God.  The 
Angel  expressly  urged  Tobias  to  offer  up  prayers  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving,  and  Tobias  was  in  the  habit  of  doing  so. 
The  sufferings  of  the  just  serve  the  double  purpose  of 
proving  them  and  of  increasing  their  merits.  "Because  thou 
wast  acceptable  to  God,  it  was  necessary  that  temptation 
should  prove  thee",  said  the  Angel  to  Tobias. 

Great  awe  and  veneration  were  experienced  by  both  father  and  son 
when  they  discovered  that  an  angel  of  the  Most  High  had  appeared 
to  them  in  the  form  of  a  man.  "  Being  seized  with  fear  they  fell  upon 
their  faces  on  the  ground."  How  much  more  reverence  ought  we  to 
feel  each  time  we  are  in  the  presence  of  the  most  holy  Sacrament, 
in  which  our  Lord  is  really  and  personally  present  with  His  Divinity 
and  sacred  Humanity. 

A  good  education  produces  good  fruit  for  several  generations.  Tobias 
the  younger,  having  received  a  good  education  from  his  father,  brought 
up  his  own  children  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord;  and  they  too,  in  their 
turn,  brought  up  their  children  well.  So  it  happened  that  the  descendants 
of  Tobias  "continued  in  good  life  and  in  holy  conversation,  and  thus 
were  acceptable  both  to  God  and  man". 


354  CHAPTER  LXX. 

The  wings  of  prayer.  Our  prayers  should  bo  joined  to  fasting  and 
alms-deeds,  or  in  other  words  to  works  of  self-denial  and  charity. 
By  this  means  they  have  greater  power,  are  more  pleasing  to  God, 
and  are  more  surely  heard.  The  holy  Fathers  say,  therefore :  "  Fasting 
and  alms  are  the  two  wings  with  which  our  prayers  fly  to  heaven". 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  keep  in  your  mind  that  your  holy  guardian  angel 
is  always  with  you  ?  Do  you  commend  yourself  to  his  care, 
and  obey  his  inspirations? 

Do  you  take  pains,  like  young  Tobias,  to  be  a  joy  to 
your  parents,  and  to  spare  them  anxiety  and  vexation  ?  Do 
you  return  home  as  soon  as  you  can,  when  you  are  sent 
out  by  them  on  an  errand? 


DECLINE  OF  THE  KINGDOM  OF  JUDA. 


Chapter  LXX. 
THE  PROPHETS  JOEL  AND  MICHEAS.   (790—730  B.  C.) 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

GOD  also  sent  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  kingdom  of  Juda 
a  great  number  of  prophets,  whose  powerful  voice  was 
heard  throughout  the  land  calling  them  to  repentance  K  Many 
times  did  their  words  produce  the  desired  effect,  and  bring 
the  people  to  repentance,  and  for  a  while  they  served  God 
with  fidelity  and  sincerity. 

Unhappily  these  returns  to  virtue  and  religion  were  of 
short  duration  2.  Then  it  was  that  the  prophets,  with  sorrow- 
ful hearts,  began  to  announce  to  the  rebellious  people  the 
downfall  of  their  country 3,  and  the  only  consolation  left  to 
the  prophets  was  the  thought  of  the  Messias,  whose  coming 
they  saw  more  clearly  as  time  went  on. 
^  The  prophet  Joel  spoke  to  the  people  in  these  terms : 
1  Hear  this,  ye  old  men,  and  give  ear,  all  ye  inhabitants  of 
the  land.   Blow  the  trumpet  in  Sion,  sound  an  alarm  in  my 


THE  PROPHETS  JOEL  AND  MICHEAS.  355 

holy  mountain;  because  the  day  of  the  Lord  comes;  because 
it  is  nigh  at  hand.  A  day  of  darkness  and  of  gloom ;  a  day 
of  clouds  and  whirlwinds;  a  numerous  people  and  a  strong- 
people,  as  the  morning  spread  upon  the  mountains.  Before 
the  face  thereof  a  devouring  fire,  and  behind  it  a  burning 
iiame.  Sacrifices  and  oblations  have  ceased  to  be  offered  in 
the  house  of  the  Lord.  Rend  your  hearts  and  not  your  gar-AA 
ments,  and  turn  to  the  Lord  your  God.  Between  the  portico 
and  the  altar,  the  priests,  the  Lord's  ministers,  shall  weep 
and  shall  say:  "Spare,  0  Lord,  spare  Thy  people." 

The  prophet  ^Uci<^s  is  not  less  terrible  in  his  warning: 
"Hear,  all  ye  peojues/'  he  cries  out,  "and  let  the  earth 
give  ear.  I  will  make  Samaria  as  a  heap  of  stones !  I  will 
bring  down  the  stones  thereof  into  the  valley,  and  will  lay 
her  foundations  bare.  Hear  this,  ye  princes  of  the  house  of 
Jacob;  you  that  abhor  judgment,  and  pervert  all  that  is 
right;  you  who  build  up  Sion  with  blood,  and  Jerusalem 
with  iniquity.  Therefore,  on  account  of  you,  Sion  shall  be 
ploughed  as  a  field,  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  as  a  heap  of 
stone's ;~  anci  'TnT^ountain  of  the  Temple  as  theliigK^praces 
oTTJhlTTorests.  And  thou  Bethlehem  Ephrata,  art  a  little  one 
among  Tneihousands  of  Juda;  out  of  thee  shall  He  come 
forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  the  Ruler  in  Israel;  and  His 
going  forth  is  from  the  beginning,  from  the  days  of  eternity." 

These  prophecies  have  been  all  literally  fulfilled.  The 
prophecy  about  Bethlehem  refers  to  the  Saviour,  so  that 
the  Jews  might  know  that  the  Redeemer  promised  to  Adam, 
to  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  to  Juda,  and  to  David  would 
be  born  in  Bethlehem. 

1  Proclaiming  and  foretelling  the  judgments  of  God.  —  2  Terrible 
impurity,  sorcery,  and  superstitions  of  all  kinds,  reigned  among  the 
chosen  peophT  Of  the  twenty  kings  who  ruled  over  Juda  the  greater 
number  shamelessly  served  idols.  Achaz  and  Manasscs  even  offered 
£up  their  own  children  in  sacrifice  tothe  false  god,  Moloch.  Acjnifc* 
closed  the  Temple;  Mana^ses  set  up  altars^to  the  false  gods  intne 
ouler^ourt  of*" it.  —  3  toretelling  such  punishments  as  Invasions  of 
tn"e  Tnemy7  despoiling  of  cities,  devastation  of  the  country  &c.  &c. 
Manasses  was  cast  into  prison,  loaded  with  chains,  and  carried  off  to*- 
Babylon;  and  many  kings  were  murdered  by  conspirators. 


356  CHAPTER  LXX1. 

II.  Commentary. 

Evil  passions  arc  at  the  root  of  unbelief.  It  seems  almost 
incredible  that,  although  God  had  made  Himself  known  to 
them  in  such  marvellous  ways,  so  many  of  the  kings  of 
Israel  and  of  Juda  should  have  fallen  away  from  Him.  Their 
apostasy  shows  us  the  enormous  power  of  those  human  passions 
which  obscure  the  reason.  The  idolatrous  kings  £new  the 
true  God,  but  they  refused  to  acknowledge  Him,  because 
j^His  commandments  put  a  curb  on  their  passions.  The  worship 
of  false  gods,  which  encouraged  sensuality,  and  was  not 
opposed  to  despotism  or  extravagance,  was  preferable  to 
them,  for  while  practising  it  they  were  free  to  live  according 
to  their  lusts.  Therefore,  they  turned  their  hearts  from  God 
and  set  up  a  senseless  idolatry  which  permitted  them  to  do 
exactly  as  they  wished! 

III.  Application. 

Bear  in  mind  that  the  evil  passions  of  the  heart  are  to- 
day, as  they  were  in  the  days   of  the   kings   of  Juda,   the 
/principal  cause  of  unbelief  in  the  eternal  and  true  God. 

Chapter  LXXI. 

KING  OZIAS,  WISHING  TO  USURP  THE  PRIESTLY 
FUNCTIONS,  IS  STRICKEN  WITH  LEPROSY. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

OZIAS  was  one  of  the  few  faithful  kings  who  reigned  in 
Juda.  He  reigned  fifty-two  years,  and  did  that  which 
was  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.  And  God  directed  him 
in  all  things  1.  Unhappily  prosperity  made  him  proud,  and 
he  carried  his  audacity  so  far  as  to  usurp  the  priestly  office  2. 
One  day,  going  into  the  Temple 3,  he  went  to  burn  incense 
upon  the  altar  4.  Eighty  priests,  with  Azarias,  the  High  Priest, 
at  their  head,  opposed  the  king,  and  prevented  him  from 
burning  incense. 

Ozias,  being  very  angry,  threatened  to  strike  the  priests 
with  the  censer  which  he  held  in  his  hand.  No  sooner  had 
he  raised  his  hand  than  he  himself  was  stricken  with  leprosy5, 


OZTAS  STRICKEN  WITH  LEPROSY.  357 

which  appeared  on  his  forehead  before  all  the  priests.  And 
they,  seized  with  horror  at  this  sudden  and  awful  punish- 
ment, took  hold  of  the  king  and  put  him  out  of  the  Temple. 
The  king  was  terrified,  and,  feeling  the  leprosy  spread  all 
over  his  body,  hastened  away  from  the  Temple  to  shut 
himself  up  in  a  palace  apart  from  all  others.  He  remained 
a  leper  till  the  day  of  his  death.  Such  was  the  fearful 
punishment  which  God  inflicted  on  an  otherwise  faithful  king, 
because  of  his  sacrilegious  attempt  to  perform  an  office 
that  belonged  only  to  priests. 

1  He  overcame  the  enemies  of  Juda,  and  brought  his  kingdom  to 
a  state  of  great  prosperity.  —  2  He  wished  to  be  both  priest  and 
king  as  the  heathens  were ;  and  to  be,  therefore,  not  only  the  temporal 
head,  but  also  the  spiritual  head  of  his  people.  —  3  into  the  Sanctuary, 
which,  according  to  the  Law,  only  the  priests  might  enter.  — 
4  See  Chapt.  XXXVIII.  —  5  On  account  of  the  contagion,  the  king 
had  till  his  death  to  live  in  a  house  apart,  and  might  not  even  enter 
the  outer  court  of  the  Temple.   The  throne  passed  to  his  son,  Joatham. 

II.  Commentary. 

After  pride  comes  a  fall.  The  case  of  Ozias,  like  that  of 
Saul,  shows  us  that  it  is  easy  for  a  man  to  be  made  proud 
by  prosperity,  power  or  riches.  To  be  king,  no  longer  satisfied 
him;  he  must  be  priest  as  well!  This  led  him  to  sin 
grievously  against  the  law  of  God,  and  as  a  punishment  for 
his  pride  he  lost  even  his  royal  position,  and  led  a  sad  and 
solitary  life.  No  doubt,  in  his  solitude,  he  renounced  his  pride, 
and  heartily  repented  of  his  crime.  "  Every  one  that  exalteth 
A  himself  shall  be  humbled"  (Luke  14,  11). 

Temporal  and  spiritual  authority.  Even  in  the  Old  Testament, 
God,  in  His  wisdom,  separated  the  spiritual  or  priestly,  from 
the  temporal  or  royal  authority,  perpetuating  it  in  Aaron 
and  his  descendants.  In  the  New  Testament  our  Lord  instituted 
a  special  priesthood,  entrusting  its  authority  to  the  apostles 
and  their  successors.  Both  Church  and  State  represent  God's 
authority,  and  they  ought  mutually  to  respect  each  other, 
and  work  together  for  the  good  of  the  people,  but  neither 
of  them  ought  to  usurp  the  prerogatives  of  the  other.  The 
severe  punishment  which  followed  the  crime  of  Ozias  ought 
to  serve  as  a  warning  to  temporal  rulers  in  all  ages  not  to 


358  CHAPTER  LXXII. 

encroach  on  the  rights  of  the  Church ;  and  it  ought  to  show 
all  men  that  it  is  a  sin  not  to  respect  the  spiritual  authority 
instituted  by  God,  to  set  themselves  up  against  it,  or  blame 
or  abuse  its  decrees. 

Lawful  obedience.  The  High  Priest  did  his  duty  in  undauntedly 
opposing  the  king  in  his  sinful  purpose.  This  was  a  case  when 
it  would  have  been  wrong  for  him  to  obey  the  king,  for  he 
commanded  a  thing  which  God  had  forbidden. 

III.  Application. 

Remind  yourselves  of  the  cases  in  which  you  are  not  bound 
to    obey  your  parents  and  those  set  in  authority  over  you. 

Chapter  LXXIL 
THE  PROPHECIES  OF  ISAIAS.     (700  B.  C.) 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

DURING  the  reign  of  the  same  Ozias,  the  people  of  Juda 
were  guilty  of  many  acts  of  idolatry.  Wherefore  God 
sent  them  the  great  prophet  Isaias 1.  In  sublime  and  terrific 
language  he  warned  them  of  many  fearful  calamities  that 
were  to  come  upon  their  country 2. 

1  He  lived  from  about  750  to  700  B.  C.  He  was  the  chief  among 
the  prophets  of  that  time,  being  remarkable  not  only  for  what  he 
did,  but  still  more  on  account  of  his  wonderful  prophecies.  Holy 
Scripture  itself  calls  him  "the  great  prophet,  faithful  in  the  sight  of 
God"  (Ecclus.  48,  25).  —  2  and  preached  penance.  "Hear  the  word 
of  the  Lord,"  he  wrote:  "Wash  yourselves,  be  clean,  take  away  the 
evil  of  your  devices  from  my  eyes ;  cease  to  do  perversely.  Learn 
to  do  well:  seek  judgment.  Then  come  and  accuse  me,  saith  the 
Lord.  If  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  made  as  white  as  snow : 
if  they  be  red  as  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  wool.  But  if 
you  will  provoke  me  to  wrath,  the  sword  shall  devour  you."  The 
Lord  thus  reminds  the  inhabitants  of  Juda  that  they  were  not  only 
to  worship  Him  outwardly,  but  to  serve  Him  by  thought,  word  and 
deed.  If  they  were  converted,  He  would  take  away  their  sins,  however 
grievous  or  numerous  they  might  be. 

The  Lord  also  revealed  to  this  prophet  so  many  particulars 
relating  to  the  Saviour  of  the  world  that,  reading  his  pro- 
phecies, one  would  suppose  Isaias  had  lived  at  the  same 
time  as  our  Divine  Lord,   instead   of  living   seven  hundred 


THE  PROPHECIES  OF  ISAIAS.  359 

years  before3.  A  few  of  these  prophecies  will  show  how 
clearly  this  greatest  of  all  the  prophets  foresaw  the  Birth, 
Passion  and  Death  of  the  Redeemer. 

Speaking  of  the  Mother  of  the  Messias,  as  well  as  of  the 
Messias  Himself,  he  said:  "Behold,  a  virgin  shall  conceive 
and  bear  a  son,  and  His  name  shall  be  called  Emmanuel, 
that  is,  God  with  us.  And  There  shall  come  forth  a  rod  out 
of  the  root  of  Jesse,  and  a  flower  shall  rise  up  out  of  his 
root.  And  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  rest  upon  Him,  the 
spirit  of  wisdom  and  understanding,  the  spirit  of  counsel  and 
of  fortitude,  the  spirit  of  knowledge  and  of  godliness.  And 
He  shall  be  filled  with  the   spirit   of  the  fear  of  the  Lord. 

"A  Child  is  born  to  us,  a  Son  is  given  to  us,  and  the 
government  is  upon  His  shoulder.  His  name  shall  be  called 
Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  Father  of  the  world  to  come, 
the  Prince  of  Peace.  God  Himself  will  come  and  save  you; 
then  4  shall  the  eyes  of  the  blind  be  opened  and  the  ears 
of  the  deaf  shall  be  unstopped." 

3  Isaias  described  much  of  our  Lord's  Life  as  accurately  as  if  he 
had  been  one  of  the  evangelists,  who  wrote  and  described  what  they 
had  themselves  seen.  Only  a  few  among  the  many  prophecies  of  Isaias 
are  quoted  above.  —  4  that  is,  when  the  Redeemer  shall  have  come. 

Concerning  the  Passion  of  our  Lord  he  prophesied:  "There 
is  no  beauty  in  Him,  nor  comeliness5.  Despised,  and  the 
most  abject  of  men,  a  man  of  sorrows 6.  He  has  borne  our 
infirmities ;  He  was  wounded  for  our  iniquities ;  He  was  bruised 
for  our  sins,  and  by  His  bruises  we  are  healed  7.  The  Lord 
hath  laid  on  Him  the  iniquity  of  us  all.  He  was  offered  be- 
cause it  was  His  own  will,  and  He  opened  not  His  mouth8. 
He  shall  be  led  as  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter,  and  shall  be 
dumb  as  a  lamb  before  his  shearer."  9  Regarding  His  future 
glory,  the  prophet  says:  "The  gentiles  shall  beseech  Him, 
and  His  sepulchre  shall  be  glorious."  Isaias  prophesied  about 
fifty  years.  It  is  said  that  he,  while  yet  alive,  was  sawn 
in  two  by  order  of  the  impious  king  Manasses. 

5  i.  e.  He,  the  Redeemer,  is  quite  disfigured  and  marred  by  the 
treatment  He  had  received.  —  c  A  man  full  of  suffering—  only  there 
for  the  purpose  of  suffering.  —  7  His  wounds  obtain  for  us  salvation, 


360  CHAPTER  LXXII. 

namely  pardon  and  grace.  —  8  to  complain.  —  9  He  suffered,  full  of 
resignation,  and  was,  as  it  were,  as  dumb  as  a  patient  lamb. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  Omniscience  of  God.  God  sees  the  future  as  if  it  were 
actually  present,  and  He  revealed  the  life  of  the  Redeemer 
so  clearly  to  Isaias,  that  the  prophet  was  able  to  describe 
it  as  if  he  had  seen  it  in  person. 

The  Holiness  of  God.  He  loves  only  that  which  is  good, 
and  detests  evil.  He  wishes  man  to  be  good  in  thought, 
word  and  deed.  "Wash  yourselves,  be  clean,  take  away  the 
evil  of  your  devices  from  my  eyes;  cease  to  do  perversely." 

The  Mercy  of  God.  He  is  quite  ready  to  pardon  if  only  the 
sinner  will  be  converted.  "Then  (when  you  are  converted), 
come  and  accuse  me.  If  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall 
be  made  as  white  as  snow  &c." 

True  conversion  consists,  as  the  words  of  Isaias  show,  in  a 
complete  change  of  heart  and  life.  The  sinner  must  renounce 
all  bad  thoughts  and  sinful  deeds,  and  must  do  what  is  right. 
He  must  hate  the  sins  which  he  has  hitherto  loved,  and 
must  worship  the  God  Whom  he  has  hitherto  despised  and 
offended. 

Even  the  most  grievous  sins  can  be  remitted  if  only  the 
sinner  be  truly  penitent.  "If  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they 
shall  be  made  as  white  as  snow;  and  if  they  be  red  as 
crimson,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  wool."  Therefore,  not 
even  the  greatest  of  sinners  should  despair  of  God's  mercy. 
If  he  does,  he  sins  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  is  in  danger 
of  being  lost  eternally. 

The  testimony  of  the  prophets  helps  and  confirms  our  faith. 
The  prophecies  of  Isaias  and  the  other  prophets  were  written 
by  the  inspiration  of  God,  and  have  to  this  day  been  pre- 
served in  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  order  to  strengthen  our 
faith.  Our  Saviour  says:  "Search  the  Scriptures,  the  same 
are  they  that  give  testimony  of  me "  (John  5,  39).  It  must, 
indeed,  confirm  our  faith  to  see  that  the  very  things  which 
the  Church  teaches  us  about  the  Person  and  Life  of  the 
Redeemer,  were  foretold  by  the  prophets  hundreds  of  years 
before  His  Birth. 


THE  PROPHECIES  OF  ISATAS.  361 

The  prophecies  of  Isaias  constitute  the  ninth  promise  of 
the  Messias,  and  contain  the  following  important  doctrines 
of  faith: 

a)  That  the  Redeemer  is  God;  for  Isaias  writes:  "God 
Himself  will  come  and  will  save  you,"  and  he  calls  Him 
"Emmanuel,  or  God  with  us".  Jesus  Christ  is  indeed  the 
true  God  with  us,  for  He  is  the  Son  of  God,  made  Man. 

b)  That  the  Divine  Redeemer  would  be  conceived  and  born 
of  a  virgin:  "Conceived  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  born  of  the 
Virgin  Mary". 

c)  That  He  would  suffer  sorrow  and  pain,  that  He  would 
be  wounded,  sacrificed  and  slain  (New  Test.  LXXII). 

d)  That  He  would,  like  unto  a  lamb,  suffer  and  die  patiently 
and  willingly.  "He  was  offered  because  it  was  His  own 
will,  and  He  opened  not  His  mouth.  He  shall  be  led  as  a 
sheep  to  the  slaughter,  and  shall  be  dumb  as  a  lamb  before 
his  shearer." 

e)  Isaias  foretells  in  plain  words  that  it  was  on  account 
of  the  sins  of  men  that  the  Redeemer  would  suffer  and  die, 
in  order  to  win  pardon  and  salvation  for  them.  Thus  he 
teaches  the  vicarious  satisfaction  made  by  the  Redeemer  of 
the  world. 

f)  Finally,  the  prophet  glances  at  the  glory  of  the  Divine 
Saviour,  saying  that  His  sepulchre  would  be  glorious,  and 
that  the  nations  (Jews  and  gentiles)  would  adore  Him.  The 
grave  of  our  Lord  was  made  glorious  by  His  Resurrection ; 
and  the  nations  could  not  adore  Him,  were  He  not  still  in 
heaven,  our  God  and  Mediator.  Thus  the  prophecy  foretells 
that,  as  Saviour  of  His  people,  He  would  rise  from  the 
dead,  and  sit  on  His  throne  in  heaven:  "He  rose  again 
from  the  dead,  ascended  into  heaven,  and  sitteth  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty." 

Isaias  was  a  great  saint  of  the  Old  Testament.  He  is  venerated  by 
the  Church  as  a  great  preacher  of  penance,  zealous  for  the  glory 
of  God  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  and,  also,  as  a  highly  inspired 
prophet  and  martyr.  When  you  recite  the  Litany  of  the  Saints,  and 
say,  "All  ye  holy  patriarchs  and  prophets,  pray  for  us,"  you  can 
think  especially  of  God's  holy  prophet,  Isaias. 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  16 


862  CHAPTER  LXXII1. 

II.  Commentary. 

Is  your  piety  only  exterior?  Does  the  holy  fear  of  God 
reign  within  you?  Do  you  love  God  with  all  your  heart, 
and  detest  sin?  Do  you  ever  allow  envious,  malicious, 
revengeful,  impure,  or  proud  thoughts  to  enter  your  mind? 
Have  you  tried  to  amend  your  life  since  your  last  confession  ? 

Chapter  LXXIII. 
THE  PIOUS  KING  EZECHIAS  (723—694  B.  C). 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

DURING  the  reign  of  Achaz  the  people  of  Juda  were 
visited  with  a  terrible  calamity.  That  unhappy  king- 
had  sacrificed  his  own  children  to  the  idol  Moloch,  one  of 
the  chief  gods  of  the  gentiles.  He  had  closed  the  gates  of 
the  Temple,  and  broken  the  sacred  vessels.  The  Lord, 
therefore,  delivered  him  into  the  hands  of  the  king  of  Syria, 
who  slew  in  one  day  a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  men 
of  Juda,  while  two  hundred  thousand  women  and  children 
were  carried  into  captivity. 

Achaz  having  died  a  short  time  after,  his  son  Ezechias1 
ascended  the  throne.  This  pious  prince  immediately  cast 
down  the  altars  which  his  unhappy  father  had  everywhere 
raised  to  the  pagan  gods;  he  threw  open  again  the  gates 
of  the  Temple,  and  exhorted  the  Levites  to  purify  it  from 
the  profanations  that  had  taken  place  there ;  saying  that  it 
was  because  of  the  sins  of  the  people,  and,  above  all,  because 
of  their  idolatry,  that  so  many  misfortunes  had  come  upon 
them. 

And  God  blessed  Ezechias  and  was  with  him  in  all  lie 
did;  so  that  in  his  days  the  kingdom  of  Juda  regained  all 
its  former  prosperity.  Nevertheless  it  came  to  pass  that 
after  some  years,  Sennacherib,  king  of  Assyria,  came  with 
a  mighty  army,  and  besieged  Jerusalem. 

Then  Ezechias  went  to  the  Temple  and  prayed.  He  also 
sent  priests,  clothed  in  sackcloth,  to  the  proplw^  Isaias,  to 
ask  him  to  intercede  with  God  in  behalf  of  Ju'in  and  his 
people.     The   prophet   sent  word   to  Ezechias  not   to   fear, 


THE  PIOUS  KING  EZECHIAS.  363 

for  that  God  had  heard  his  prayer,  and  would  destroy  the 
Assyrians,  and  that  their  king,  returning  to  his  own  country, 
should  perish  by  the  sword. 

That  same  night  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went  to  the  camp 
of  the  Assyrians,  and  killed  one  hundred  and  eighty-five 
thousand  warriors  2.  Thus  Sennacherib  was  obliged  to  return 
with  disgrace  to  his  own  country.  There  he  went  to  the 
temple  of  his  god,  and  his  own  sons  slew  him  with  the 
sword.  Thus  was  fulfilled  the  prophecy  of  Isaias.  Ezechias, 
some  time  after,  fell  sick  and  lay  at  the  point  of  death. 
The  prophet  Isaias  was  sent  to  tell  him  to  put  his  house 
in  order,  for  that  he  must  die.  The  king  terrified  at  the 
thought  of  death,  turned  his  face  towards  the  Temple,  and 
prayed  with  tears  that  God  might  prolong  his  life.  God 
heard  his  prayer,  and  sent  the  prophet  again  to  tell  him 
that  fifteen  years  should  be  added  to  his  life.  And  so  it 
came  to  pass;  and  at  the  end  of  the  fifteen  years  he  died, 
after  a  happy  and  prosperous  reign,  the  reward  of  his  fidelity 
to  God. 

1  Ezechias   was   grandfather   to   Ozias.  —  2  with,   most   likely,   a 
malady,  or  pestilence,  which  caused  a  speedy  death. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Justice  of  God.  The  holy  king,  Ezechias,  was  blessed 
by  God,  and  saved  from  a  great  danger  in  the  most  wonderful 
way.  On  the  other  hand,  the  pride  of  Ozias  was  punished  by 
a  life-long  illness ;  and  all  the  other  kings  of  Juda  who  were 
unfaithful  to  God,  were  punished  by  Him  in  different  ways. 

In  the  hour  of  danger  we  ought  to  do  as  the  pious  king 
Ezechias  did.  He  took  every  possible  human  precaution  to 
defend  Jerusalem,  and  then,  full  of  confidence,  humbly  asked 
God's  protection.  In  the  hour  of  need  we  in  the  same  way 
ought  to  do  all  we  can  ourselves,  though  we  must  not  depend 
on  our  own  efforts  for  success,  but  humbly  pray  to  God  for 
help  and  deliverance.     "Our  help  cometh  from  the  Lord!" 

The  pomp  of  prayer.  The  marvellous  help  which  was 
sent  to  Ezechias  ought  to  prove  to  us  the  power  and  efficacy 
of  fervent  prayer. 

16* 


364  CHAPTER  LXXIV. 

III.  Application. 

Have  you  always  prayed  with  confidence?  Very  likely 
you  have  prayed  for  many  things,  and  have  not  received 
them  because  you  lacked  confidence.  Have  more  faith,  for 
the  future,  when  you  pray,  especially  in  times  of  trouble 
and  spiritual  need;  and  then  you  will  certainly  be  heard. 

Chapter  LXXIV. 
JUDITH. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  a  brief  season  of  repentance  and  of  penance, 
the  people  of  Juda  again  forgot  the  Lord.  Then  God, 
in  His  anger,  sent  them  a  new  and  terrible  punishment,  which 
would  have  ended  in  the  total  destruction  of  their  nation 1, 
were  it  not  for  the  heroic  courage  of  a  certain  holy  woman. 
At  that  time  Holofernes,  general-in-chief  of  the  Assyrian 
forces,  came  at  the  head  of  a  mighty  army 2  to  overthrow 
the  kingdom  of  Juda,  as  he  had  overthrown  many  other 
kingdoms. 

Having  taken  all  the  cities  and  strongholds  of  the  country, 
and  treated  their  inhabitants  with  savage  cruelty,  he  came 
to  lay  siege  to  Bethulia3.  He  cut  off  the  aqueducts  which 
supplied  the  city  with  water,  and  thereby  reduced  the  citizens 
to  such  an  extremity  that  the  elders  resolved  to  give  up 
the  city  in  five  days,  unless  they  were  relieved  before  that 
time4.  Meanwhile  they  prayed  fervently  to  God,  humbled 
themselves  before  Him,  and  strewed  ashes  on   their   heads. 

Now  there  was  in  the  city  a  woman  named  Judith,  of 
rare  beauty  and  of  great  wealth,  who,  being  a  widow,  lived 
retired  in  her  own  house,  and  spent  her  days  in  prayer  and 
good  works 5.  Being  touched  with  compassion  for  the  sad 
condition  of  her  people,  she  presented  herself  before  the 
ancients  of  the  city  and  said :  "  What  is  this  word  by  which 
you  have  consented  to  give  up  the  city  within  five  days? 
You  have  set  a  time  for  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  according 
to  your  pleasure.  This  is  not  a  word  that  may  draw  down 
mercy,  but  rather  indignation.   Let  us  therefore  be  penitent 


JUDITH.  365 

for  this  same  thing,  and  remember  that  all  the  saints  were 
tempted  and  remained  faithful ;  but  that  those  who  rejected 
the  trials  of  the  Lord  were  destroyed.  And  let  us  believe 
that  these  scourges  have  happened  for  our  amendment  and 
not  for  our  destruction." 

1  This  was  about  the  year  690,  during  the  minority  of  Manasses. 
—  2  of  120,000  men  on  foot,  and  22,000  horsemen.  —  3  This  was  a 
mountain  fortress  on  the  northern  side  of  Mount  Gelboe,  in  which 
the  brook  Kishon  takes  its  rise,  and  to  the  south  of  Nairn.  —  4  The 
army  of  Holofernes  was  quite  twenty  times  as  strong  as  that  of 
Bethulia,  and,  humanly  speaking,  there  was  no  salvation  to  be  looked 
for,  especially  after  he  had  turned  off  the  water-supply.  The  Assyrian 
general  did  not  attempt  to  storm  Bethulia,  for  he  reckoned  confidently 
that  the  people  of  the  town,  dying  of  thirst,  would  very  soon  surrender ; 
and  he  quietly  awaited  the  result  of  the  want  of  water.  —  5  and 
fasting;  Judith  only  took  one  meal  a  day,  and  that  one  in  the 
evening. 

The  ancients,  inspired  by  these  noble  words,  begged  her 
to  pray  for  the  people.  She  consented,  and  retiring  to  her 
oratory,  clothed  herself  in  hair-cloth  6,  put  ashes  on  her  head, 
and  falling  prostrate  before  the  Lord7,  she  besought  Him 
to  humble  the  enemies  of  her  nation.  While  she  thus  prayed, 
Almighty  God  inspired  her  with  the  thought  that  she  should 
go  into  the  camp  of  the  enemy  and  cut  off  the  head  of  the 
Assyrian  general  Holofernes. 

Then,  putting  off  the  hair-cloth,  she  immediately  arrayed 
herself  in  her  richest  garments,  perfumed  herself  with  the 
best  ointments,  plaited  her  hair,  and  adorned  herself  with 
bracelets,  earlets,  and  rings.  And  the  Lord  increased  her 
beauty,  because  all  her  dressing  up  did  not  proceed  from 
vanity.  Then  she  took  a  servant  maid  with  her  and  set 
out  for  the  camp  of  Holofernes. 

Being  brought  before  Holofernes,  the  tyrant  was  charmed 
with  her  majestic  beauty,  and  supposing  that  she  had  fled 
from  her  own  people,  ordered  her  to  receive  every  attention, 
and  to  be  allowed  to  go  and  come  as  she  pleased.  On  the 
fourth  day  Holofernes  gave  a  grand  banquet  to  the  officers 
of  his  army.  He  and  they  overcharged  themselves  with 
wine,  and  when  they  lay  down  on  their   couches,  they  fell 


366  CHAPTER  LXX1V. 

into  a  death-like  sleep.  Then  Judith  resolved  to  strike  the 
decisive  blow  that  was  to  save  her  country  and  her  people. 
She  besought  God,  saying:  " Strengthen  me,  0  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  and  in  this  hour  look  upon  the  works  of  my  hands, 
that  I  may  bring  to  pass  that  which  I  have  purposed,  having 
a  belief  that  it  might  be  done  by  Thee."  Then  she  moved 
softly  towards  the  tent  of  Holofernes.  And  taking  his  sword 
which  hung  from  a  pillar  near  by,  she  drew  it  from  its 
scabbard,  raised  it  aloft,  and,  at  the  second  stroke,  cut  off 
the  head  of  the  sleeping  tyrant.  She  then  gave  the  head 
to  her  maid,  who  waited  without,  and  bade  her  put  it  into 
her  wallet8. 

6  A  rough  garment  worn  under  the  other  clothes,  for  the  purpose 
of  tormenting  the  body.  —  7  praying  for  help  and  light.  —  8  in 
which  she  had  brought  food  from  Bethulia. 

Departing  from  the  camp,  she  returned  with  her  servant 
to  Bethulia,  and  having  assembled  the  people,  showed  them 
the  head  of  Holofernes,  saying:  "Praise  ye  the  Lord  our 
God,  Who  hath  killed  the  enemy  of  His  people  by  my  hand. 
His  angel  hath  been  my  keeper  and  hath  brought  me  back 
to  you."  Then  Ozias,  the  prince  of  the  people  of  Israel 9, 
said  to  her:  "Blessed  art  thou,  0  daughter  of  the  Lord,  the 
Most  High  God,  above  all  the  women  upon  the  earth." 
Then  the  people,  praising  God,  rushed  towards  the  camp  of 
the  Assyrians.  The  guards,  terrified  and  confused,  made  a 
great  noise  at  the  door  of  their  general's  tent  in  order  to 
awaken  him. 

But  finding  their  efforts  useless  they  at  length  ventured 
to  enter  the  tent,  and  seeing  the  headless  body  of  their 
mighty  general  weltering  in  blood,  they  were  seized  with 
fear  and  fled  in  haste,  crying  out  that  Holofernes  was  slain 10. 
A  great  confusion  ensued,  and  the  people  of  Bethulia  had 
only  to  complete  the  work  commenced  by  Judith,  and  take 
possession  of  the  Assyrian  camp  with  its  rich  spoils. 

Then  the  Jewish  people,  turning  to  Judith,  sang  with  one 
accord:  "Thou  art  the  glory  of  Jerusalem;  thou  art  the  joy 
of  Israel;  thou  art  the  honour  of  our  people."  The  rejoicings 
following  on  this  splendid  victory  were  kept  up  for  three 


JUDITH. 


367 


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months.  And  Judith  became  great  throughout  all  Israel11. 
She  died  at  an  advanced  age12,  and  was  mourned  by  all 
the  people. 

Judith  is,  in  some  degree,  a  figure  of  Mary,  the  Immaculate 
Virgin.  Mary  is  the  true  heroine  of  Israel,  and  of  mankind. 
Judith  was  praised  by  the  people  of  one  city  as  the  pride 
and  ornament  of  Jerusalem.  Mary  is  praised  throughout  the 
whole  world  as  the  glory  of  her  people,  the  cooperatrix  in 
the  redemption  of  the  whole  human  race,  the  woman  whose 
seed  conquered  death  and  hell,  as  the  Almighty  Himself 
foretold  to  Adam  and  Eve  after  their  fall. 

9  The  chief  man  of  the  town.  —  10  Many  were  killed  in  their 
flight,  and  the  whole  camp  was  plundered  by  the  people  of  Bethulia. 
What  joy  and  gratitude  to  God  must  they  have  felt  at  being  delivered 
from  so  great  a  danger!  —  n  She  returned  to  her  former  retired  and 
penitential  mode  of  life.  —  12  at  the  age  of  a  hundred  and  five  years. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Goodness  of  God  to  His  people.  The  attack  of  the 
powerful  Holofernes  reduced  the  kingdom  of  Juda  to  a  state 
of  the  greatest  danger.  He  had  already  taken  several  places, 
and  if  the  strong  fortress  of  Bethulia  had  fallen,  the  way 
to   Jerusalem   itself  would   have   been  open  to  him.     The 


368  CHAPTER  LXXIV. 

Temple  would  then  have  been  destroyed,  and  the  whole 
country  conquered.  Humanly  speaking  all  this  must  have 
happened,  for  Bethulia  was  suffering  from  want  of  water 
and  could  not  hold  out  beyond  a  few  days.  But  once  more 
God  spared  the  faithless  kingdom  of  Juda ;  and  brought  to 
nought  the  plots  of  the  wicked  Holofernes,  through  the 
instrumentality  of  a  weak  woman.  God  put  it  into  the  heart 
of  Judith  to  slay  the  enemy  of  her  people,  and  enlightened 
and  strengthened  her  to  carry  out  her  dangerous  undertaking. 
He,  moreover,  produced  such  a  panic  in  the  Assyrian  army 
and  its  leaders,  after  the  death  of  their  general,  that  they 
completely  lost  their  heads,  abandoned  their  camp  in  their 
confusion,  and  took  to  flight  before  a  mere  handful  of  Bethu- 
lians.  In  this  instance,  as  in  that  of  Goliath,  God  chose  the 
weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  strong  (1  Cor.  1,  27). 

Resignation  to  God's  will.  The  people  of  Bethulia  believed 
in  the  true  God,  and  had  not  been  led  away  to  serve  idols 
(Judith  8,  18),  but,  still,  their  faith  was  not  sufficiently 
enlightened,  and  their  wills  not  sufficiently  resigned.  They 
"tempted"  God,  or  dictated  to  Him,  by  saying:  "If  Thou 
wilt  help,  help  soon ;  if  Thy  help  does  not  come  in  five  days, 
we  shall  despair  of  Thine  assistance  and  surrender."  Judith 
was  right  to  blame  them,  for  it  is  not  for  us,  blind,  wretched 
men  to  dictate  to  the  great  God  as  to  when  and  how  He 
shall  help  us.  Probably  the  Bethulians  expected  that  by 
sending  rain  He  would  put  an  end  to  the  want  of  water; 
but  God  had  decided  on  saving  them  in  another  way,  for 
His  thoughts  are  not  our  thoughts.  Let  us  guard  against 
dictating  to  God  as  to  what  way  He  is  to  help  us.  We 
must  leave  the  time  and  mode  of  help  entirely  to  Him. 

The  virtues  of  Judith.  She  was  a  very  virtuous,  nay,  more, 
a  very  holy  woman.  Let  us  see  what  virtues  she  especially 
displayed  in  this  story. 

a)  Piety.  She  prayed  often  and  devoutly.  By  constant 
communion  with  God  she  learnt  to  know  Him,  and  obtained 
great  confidence  in  Him.  It  was  in  prayer  that  her  great 
thoughts  and  resolutions  came  to  her,  as  also  the  wisdom 
to  carry  them  out. 


JUDITH.  369 

b)  Mortification  and  self-denial.  Her  husband  left  her 
great  riches,  many  servants,  and  flocks  and  herds.  But 
although  she  had  such  great  possessions,  and  might  have 
led  a  luxurious  and  brilliant  life,  she  lived  quite  retired 
from  the  world,  in  a  state  of  voluntary  poverty  and  chastity, 
and  practised  severe  penances,  wearing  hair-cloth,  and  fasting 
every  day.  "Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit !"  It  was  by 
this  life  of  mortification  that  Judith  attained  to  the 

c)  Heroism,  which  enabled  her  to  save  her  people.  The 
more  we  deny  ourselves  and  resist  our  natural  desires,  the 
more  holy  and  strong  will  be  our  wills,  and  the  less  shall 
we  shrink  from  any  burden  or  danger  which  could  advance 
God's  glory  and  the  good  of  our  neighbour.  The  High-Priest 
was  right  when  he  said  to  Judith:  "  Thou  hast  done  manfully, 
because  thou  hast  loved  chastity"  (Judith  15,  11). 

d)  Love  of  her  country.  Judith  knew  that  the  Temple  and 
her  country  were  in  extreme  danger,  and  it  was  to  save 
them  that  she  went  unprotected  into  the  enemy's  camp,  and 
placed  herself  in  what  was,  apparently,  imminent  danger  of 
death.  She  was  willing  to  sacrifice  herself  for  them,  out  of 
love  for  God  and  His  holy  Law. 

e)  Her  humility  is  especially  worthy  of  admiration.  She 
was  proud  neither  of  beauty  nor  riches,  and  was  truly  humble 
of  heart.  "Let  us  be  penitent,  and  humble  our  souls  before 
God,"  said  she  to  the  elders.  After  her  heroic  action  she 
gave  all  the  glory  to  God.  "  Praise  ye  the  Lord  our  God," 
said  she,  "Who  hath  killed  the  enemies  of  His  people  by 
my  hand". 

Judith  is  considered  by  the  Church  to  be  a  type  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  Even  as  the  chaste  Judith  cut  off  the 
head  of  Holofernes,  thereby  saving  her  people  from  captivity 
and  slavery,  so  did  Mary,  the  Immaculate  Mother,  through 
her  Divine  Son,  trample  on  the  head  of  the  infernal  Holofernes, 
and  free  all  mankind  from  his  power.  Even  as  Judith  was 
lauded  as  "blessed  above  all  women  on  earth",  so  did 
St.  Elizabeth  and  the  angel  Gabriel  both  say  to  our  Lady: 
"Blessed  art  thou  among  women."  Judith  gave  all  the  glory 
to  God,   as   did   Mary   in    the   Magnificat   (New  Test.  IV). 

1G  ## 


370  CHAPTER  LXXV. 

Judith  was  devout :  Mary  is  the  vessel  of  singular  devotion. 
Judith  was  a  holy  woman:  Mary  is  the  Virgin  Most  Holy, 
and  the  Mirror  of  justice  in  which  all  virtues  are  reflected. 
Judith  was  heroic:  Mary  was  the  most  heroic  of  women, 
and  the  Queen  of  martyrs.  Judith  was  the  glory  of 
Jerusalem:  Mary  is  the  Queen  of  all  saints,  the  glory  of 
the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  the  joy  of  the  elect,  and  the  honour 
of  the  whole  Church. 

The  invocation  of  the  Saints.  The  people  of  Bethulia  recommended 
themselves  to  the  intercession  of  Judith,  because  she  was  a  holy 
woman,  and  because,  therefore,  her  prayers  would  have  great  power 
with  God.  It  is  for  the  same  reason  that  we  recommend  ourselves  to 
the  intercession  of  the  saints. 

Belief  in  guardian  angels.  "God's  angel  hath  been  my  keeper", 
said  Judith;  and  her  words  show  us  that  she  believed  that  she  had 
a  guardian  angel.  The  Catholic  doctrine  about  guardian  angels  is 
thoroughly  founded  on  Holy  Scripture. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  always  give  glory  to  God,  or  do  you  cherish  vain 
thoughts,  and  boast  of  your  own  attainments?  Are  you 
fond  of  talking  about  yourself?  Do  you  try  to  depreciate 
others  in  order  to  exalt  yourself?  Renounce  pride!  Be 
ashamed  of  your  silly  vanity  and  boasting !  Each  day  direct 
all  your  intentions  to  the  greater  glory  of  God,  for  this  is 
an  excellent  way  to  put  down  pride  and  to  obtain  merit  in 
the  sight  of  God. 


THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVTTY 

(606-536  B.  C). 


Chapter  LXXV. 

THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY— FALL  OF  THE 
KINGDOM  OF  JUDA  (588  B.  C). 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AT  last  the  people  of  Juda  became  so  hardened  in   sin 
that  the  divine  chastisements  had  no  longer  any  effect 
upon  their  hearts.   They  gave  themselves  wholly  up  to  the 


THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY.  371 

vile  practices  of  idolatry,  and  persecuted  the  prophets  of  God, 
several  of  whom  they  put  to  death.  In  vain  did  the  great 
prophet,  Jeremias,  who  lived  at  that  time,  endeavour  to  recall 
them  to  repentance  *.  Finally,  the  patience  of  the  merciful 
God  was  exhausted,  and  the  ruin  so  often  foretold  by  the 
prophet  Isaias  fell  heavily  on  the  people. 

In  the  year  606  B.  C,  Nabuchodonozor2,  king  of  Babylon, 
placed  himself  at  the  head  of  an  immense  army,  marched 
against  Jerusalem 3,  and,  having  taken  it,  carried  away  the 
king  and  the  principal  inhabitants  4  as  captives.  Sixteen  years 
later,  those  who  were  left  in  Jerusalem  revolted  against  Nabu- 
chodonozor, and  the  latter  returned  with  a  still  greater  army, 
and  after  a  siege  of  eighteen  months,  he  took  Jerusalem  by  storm. 

Then  the  whole  city  was  given  up  to  fire  and  pillage5. 
The  Temple  itself  was  consumed  by  fire,  and  the  sacred 
vessels  were  carried  off.  All  the  people  that  escaped  the 
sword  were  led  into  captivity  in  Babylon 6,  and  the  splendid 
city  of  Jerusalem  was  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins. 

1  He  tried  to  convert  the  people,  and  avert  the  threatened  pun- 
ishment, by  his  own  penances.  He  put  on  himself  an  iron  yoke 
(i.  e.  the  strong  bar  which  fastens  two  oxen  together)  and  thus 
preached  penance  to  the  people.  He  did  this  in  order  to  bring  home 
to  tfyem  into  how  degrading  a  servitude  they  had  fallen.  But  they 
scourged  him  and  threw  him  into  a  dungeon,  from  which  he  was 
delivered  by  Nabuchodonozor  when  he  conquered  Jerusalem.  —  2  He 
and  his  father  had,  about  610  B.  C,  destroyed  the  Assyrian  empire 
(to  which  Babylon  belonged),  overthrown  Ninive,  and  set  up  a  new 
Babylonian  empire,  and  subjected  half  Asia.  —  3  because  the  Jews 
had  revolted.  He  laid  siege  to  Jerusalem  until  (596  B.  C.)  it  surren- 
dered unconditionally.  —  4  10,000  men.  —  5  The  famine  during  this 
siege  Avas  so  terrible  that  mothers  cooked  and  ate  their  children  who 
had  perished  from  starvation.  A  pestilence,  moreover,  broke  out  and 
swept  off  many  of  the  inhabitants.  When,  at  last,  the  city  was 
stormed,  thousands  were  killed,  and  the  town  literally  ran  with  blood. 
After  Jerusalem  was  taken,  it  was  sacked,  the  beautiful  Temple 
destroyed,  the  houses  burnt,  and  the  walls  overthrown.  —  G  Only 
the  very  poor  were  left  behind  to  cultivate  the  fields  and  vineyards. 
The  king,  Sedecias,  was  carried  off,  his  eyes  were  put  out,  and  he 
was  kept  in  prison  till  he  died. 

Jeremias  remained  in  Jerusalem 7,  and,  sitting  on  the  ruins 
of  the  desolate  city,  he  lamented  in  the  most  pathetic  manner 


372  CHAPTER  LXXV. 

the  miseries  of  his  people,  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
"How  doth  the  city  sit  solitary  that  was  full  of  people; 
how  is  the  mistress  of  nations  become  as  a  widow8;  the 
princess  of  provinces  made  tributary  ?  9  The  ways  of  Sion  10 
mourn,  because  there  are  none  that  come  to  the  solemn  feast. 
0  all  ye  that  pass  by  the  way,  attend,  and  see  if  there  be 
any  sorrow  like  to  my  sorrow  n.  To  what  shall  I  compare 
thee,  or  to  what  shall  I  liken  thee?  Great  as  the  sea  is 
thy  destruction.  Who  shall  heal  thee?  Convert  us,  0  Lord, 
to  Thee,  and  we  shall  be  converted12;  renew  our  days,  as 
from  the  beginning."  13 

Jeremias,  however,  was  not  without  consolation.  He  knew  u 
that  Israel  would  be  restored,  and  that  God  would  make  a 
new  covenant  with  His  people.  "The  days  shall  come,  saith 
the  Lord,  and  I  will  make  a  new  covenant  with  the  house 
of  Israel 15  and  with  the  house  of  Juda.  Not  according  to 
the  covenants  which  I  made  with  their  fathers,  which  they 
made  void.  But  this  shall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will  make 
with  the  house  of  Israel  after  those  days.  I  will  give  my 
law  and  will  write  it  on  their  hearts,  and  I  will  be  their 
God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people.  I  will  forgive  their 
iniquity  and  I  will  remember  their  sin  no  more."  16 

7  He  was  given  the  choice  of  either  remaining  in  Juda,  or  of  filling 
an  honourable  post  in  Babylon.  He  chose  to  remain  among  the  ruins 
of  the  Temple  to  comfort  the  Jews  who  were  left  behind.  —  8  Je- 
rusalem, formerly  the  mistress  of  many  nations,  now  robbed  of  hoi- 
king and  her  inhabitants.  —  9  subject  to  Babylon,  and  forced  to  pay 
tribute  to  her.  —  10  the  road  to  Sion,  formerly  thronged  with  pilgrims. 
—  u  This  is  supposed  to  be  spoken  by  Jerusalem.  —  12  We  have 
sinned,  therefore  we  are  punished.  We  cannot  be  converted  of  our- 
selves:  convert  us,  and  then  our  conversion  will  be  sincere.  — 
13  Bring  back  the  former  happy  days.  —  u  and  foretold  that  the  Jews 
would  return  after  a  captivity  of  seventy  years  (Chapt.  LXXX).  — 
15  with  the  descendants  of  the  former  people  of  Israel.  —  1G  This 
new  covenant  will  be  an  inward  covenant  of  grace. 

The  captive  Jews17  were  treated  with  kindness  by  the 
king  of  Babylon,  but  they  longed  for  the  land  of  their  fathers 
and  for  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  This  longing  of  their  hearts 
is  beautifully  expressed  in  one  of  the  Psalms:  "Upon  the 
rivers  of  Babylon,  there  we  sat  and  wept,  when  we  remem- 


TTTE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY.  373 

bered  Sion.  On  the  willows 18  in  the  midst  thereof  we  hung 
up  our  instruments  19,  for  there  they  that  led  us  into  captivity 
required  of  us  the  words  of  songs 20.  How  shall  we  sing 
the  song  of  the  Lord  in  a  strange  land?21   If  I  forget  thee, 

0  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  be  forgotten22.  Let  my 
tongue  cleave  to  my  jaws 23  if  I  do  not  remember   thee,  if 

1  make  not  Jerusalem  the  beginning  of  my  joys."  2i 

17  As  also  the  scattered  Israelites  who  from  this  time  were  usually 
termed  Jews.  —  18  the  species  known  as  weeping  willow.  —  19  as 
a  sign  of  grief,  for  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  make  music,  or 
sing  joyful  songs.  —  20  or  songs  of  joy.  These  were  sung  to  the 
accompaniment  of  music,  which  was  not  the  case  with  songs  of 
mourning.  —  21  They  regarded  it  as  an  act  of  desecration  to  sing 
divine  canticles  in  a  heathen  land,  for  the  entertainment  of  their 
captors.  —  22  Let  my  right  hand  forget  its  use,  and  refuse  to  serve 
me.  —  23  Let  me  be  dumb.  —  24  if  I  prefer  anything  to  the  holy  city. 

During  the  captivity  God  did  not  abandon  His  people, 
but  sent  the  prophet  Ezechiel  who  admonished  and  instructed 
them.  He  also  consoled  them  by  telling  them  of  a  vision  25 
which  foreshadowed  the  deliverance  of  the  people  from  their 
captivity.  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  brought  Ezechiel  to  a 
plain  filled  with  bones  26.  Being  told  by  God,  he  commanded 
the  bones  to  come  together,  which  was  done,  and  they  were 
covered  with  flesh  and  skin,  but  there  was  no  spirit  in  them. 
And  the  Lord  told  Ezechiel  to  say  to  the  spirit:  "Come, 
spirit,  and  let  them  live  again."  The  spirit  entered  into 
them,  and  they  lived ;  they  stood  upon  their  feet,  an  exceeding 
great  army.  Then  the  Lord  said:  "These  bones  are  the 
house  of  Israel ;  they  say  that  our  bones  are  dried  up  27  and 
our  hope  is  lost,  but  say  to  them:  Thus  saith  the  Lord 
God:  Behold,  I  will  open  your  graves,  and  bring  you  into 
the  land  of  Israel,  and  you  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord, 
0  my  people." 

25  Which  God  had  permitted  him  to  have.  —  2G  bones  of  dead 
men.  —  27  The  Jews,  in  their  banishment,  considered  themselves  to 
be  like  unto  those  who  are  dead  and  buried. 

Amongst  the  captives  were  several  young  men  of  high 
rank,  belonging  to  the  first  families.  The  king  ordered  the 
most  distinguished  of  these  to  be  brought  to  his  own  palace  28, 


374  CHAPTER  LXXV. 

clothed  in  kingly  apparel,  and  fed  with  meats  from  his  own 
table.  Amongst  these  young  men  were  Daniel29,  Ananias, 
Misael  and  Azarias. 

They  resolved  not  to  eat  the  meats  from  the  king's  table, 
because  the  Jewish  law  forbade  the  use  of  certain  meats 30, 
and  they  begged  the  chief  steward  to  allow  them  to  eat  only 
vegetables,  and  to  drink  only  water.  The  steward  was 
disposed  to  comply  with  their  request,  but  he  told  them 
that  if  they  lived  on  such  diet,  they  would  become  so  lean 
that  the  king  would  blame  him,  and  perhaps  punish  him 
severely. 

Daniel  besought  the  steward  to  try  them  for  ten  days 
with  the  food  and  drink  they  desired  to  have.  The  steward 
consented,  and  at  the  end  of  ten  days  the  faces  of  these 
young  men  were  fresher  and  more  comely  than  those  of  the 
other  young  men  of  the  court. 

After  this  the  steward  gave  them  only  vegetables  and 
water;  but  God  gave  them31  wisdom  and  science32.  When 
the  time  came  that  they  were  presented  to  the  king,  he 
was  so  charmed  with  their  beauty  and  wisdom  that  he 
retained  them  in  his  service. 

The  new  covenant  which  Jeremias  foretells  is  the  Christian 
religion,  in  which  greater  grace  is  given  to  men;  for  which 
reason  it  is  called  the  law  of  grace,  while  the  Old  Testament 
was  called  the  law  of  fear. 

28  To  be  educated  to  fill  places  about  the  court.  They  were  therefore 
instructed  in  the  language,  writings  and  sciences  of  the  Babylonians 
or  Chaldees.  —  29  who  was  then  about  fourteen  years  old.  —  80  such 
as  the  flesh  of  unclean  beasts,  blood,  and  flesh  full  of  blood.  Moreover, 
certain  portions  of  the  flesh  of  oxen,  sheep  and  goats,  as  well  as  wine, 
were  offered  to  idols,  and  after  they  had  been  thus  offered  were  sold 
in  the  markets,  so  that  the  Jews  could  never  be  sure  that  when  eating 
at  pagan  tables,  some  food  might  not  be  placed  before  them  which  it 
was  unlawful  for  them  to  eat.  In  order  to  be  on  the  safe  side,  Daniel 
and  his  companions  wished  to  refrain  from  all  the  flesh  and  wine  sent 
to  them  by  the  king.  —  31  as  a  reward  for  their  conscientiousness  and 
self-restraint.  —  32  God  gave  them  an  extraordinary  and  supernatural 
understanding  and  wisdom,  so  that  they  not  only  excelled  the  other 
youths,  but  even  the  wise  men  of  the  kingdom  (Dan.  1,  20).  To  Daniel 
God  gave  the  gifts  of  prophecy  and  interpretation  of  dreams. 


THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY.  375 

II.  Commentary. 

Ihe  Long-suffering,  Justice  and  Faithfulness  of  God.  He  was 
very  patient  and  long-suffering  with  Juda.  Up  to  the  very 
moment  of  its  overthrow  He  held  out,  through  Jeremias, 
hope  of  pardon  and  the  averting  of  punishment,  if  only  the 
people  would  be  converted.  And  was  not  the  fate  of  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  of  itself  an  impressive  warning  ?  However, 
neither  king  nor  people  would  give  heed  to  this,  or  to  the 
warnings  of  the  prophets  sent  by  God,  but  listened,  rather, 
to  false  prophets,  resisted  grace,  and  persisted  in  their 
impenitence.  At  last  the  measure  of  their  sins  was  full, 
the  justice  of  God  manifested  itself,  and  the  long  threatened 
punishment  overtook  Juda. 

The  Goodness  and  Mercy  of  God.  The  Lord  did  not  leave 
His  miserable  people  without  comfort,  but  gave  them  through 
Jeremias  the  assurance  that  He  had  not  finally  rejected  them, 
but  would  restore  them  to  His  favour,  and  institute  a  new 
and  higher  covenant  with  them. 

The  uses  of  suffering.  Their  captivity  served  for  the 
salvation  of  many  of  the  Jews.  They  turned  to  God  with 
their  whole  hearts,  for  they  felt  that  all  their  hopes  of 
liberty  rested  in  Him.  At  last  they  abhorred  idolatry;  and 
were  so  completely  cured  of  their  inclination  towards  it, 
that  they  never  relapsed  into  it,  even  after  their  return  to 
the  Promised  Land. 

The  love  of  Jeremias  for  his  people.  Even  though  he  was 
misunderstood  and  persecuted  by  them,  he  felt  no  malicious 
satisfaction  when  the  judgment  foretold  by  him  really  overtook 
them.  No,  he  bewailed  the  hard  fate  of  his  people,  and 
gave  utterance  to  the  deep  grief  of  his  noble  soul  in  the 
"Lamentations". 

The  necessity  of  grace.  This  is  taught  by  the  words: 
"  Convert  us  to  Thee,  0  Lord,  and  we  shall  be  converted." 
The  sinner  cannot  be  converted  without  the  assistance  of 
grace. — In  their  captivity  the  Jews  acknowledged  themselves 
to  be  religiously  and  politically  dead,  and  had  no  hope  of 
ending  their  banishment  by  their  own  efforts,  or  of  returning 
to  their  country  and  becoming   once   more   an   independent 


376  CHAPTER  LXXV. 

nation :  "  Our  bones  are  dried  up,  and  our  hope  is  lost."  It 
was  only  by  God's  Spirit  that  the  dead  and  captive  people 
could  be  raised  to  a  new  political  and  religious  existence; 
and  only  by  the  help  of  Gocl  that  they  could  be  freed  and 
restored  to  their  own  country.  This  applies  to  nations  and 
individuals  of  all  ages.  A  fallen  nation  can  be  restored  and 
renewed  only  by  religion  and  the  Spirit  of  God.  And  no 
individual  who  has  succumbed  to  the  death  of  sin,  can  raise 
himself  up  by  his  own  strength,  but  only  by  the  help  of 
God,  Who  by  His  grace  can  restore  a  dead  soul  to  life. 
"I  will  forgive  their  iniquity  and  I  will  remember  their  sin 
no  more." 

The  tenth  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  New  Covenant 
foretold  by  Jeremias  was  instituted  by  our  Lord,  Jesus  Christ. 
The  Old  Covenant  was  an  external  law,  written  on  stone 
tables,  observed  out  of  fear,  and  which  could  effect  no  inner 
justification  or  sanctification.  The  law  of  the  New  Covenant 
was  written  in  men's  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  so  that  it 
is  a  law  kept  out  of  love,  and  which  changes  man  inwardly, 
cleanses  and  heals  him  from  sin.  For  this  reason  the 
Holy  Ghost  came  down  on  Whitsunday,  and  wrote  the  law 
of  Christ  on  the  hearts  of  the  apostles,  illuminating  them, 
and  kindling  in  them  the  fire  of  love.  The  law  of  the  New 
Covenant  is  engraved  in  the  hearts  of  individuals  in  holy 
Baptism. 

The  Lamentations  of  Jeremias  are  very  impressive,  and  full  of  deep 
meaning.  They  refer  literally  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and 
the  captivity  which  the  Jewish  people  had  brought  upon  themselves ; 
but  they  bear,  (as  the  Church  has  always  taught)  a  deeper  meaning, 
and  contain  allusions  both  to  the  sufferings  of  the  Divine  Redeemer, 
and  to  the  sad  condition  of  man  when  he  is  separated  from  God. 

1.  The  Church  applies  the  passages:  "0  all  ye  that  pass  by  the 
way,  attend  and  see  if  there  be  any  sorrow  like  unto  my  sorrow", 
and  "Great  as  the  sea  is  thy  destruction.  Who  shall  heal  thee?" 
to  our  Lord,  suffering  and  dying,  and  also  to  His  sorrowful  Mother 
(see  the  Lamentations  sung  in  the  office  of  the  last  three  days  of 
Holy  Week). 

2.  The  passages  relating  to  the  desolation  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
Temple  are  applied  by  the  Church  to  the  sad  condition  to  which  man 
is  brought  by  sin  and  its  consequences,  and    to  the  desolation  which 


THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY.  377 

mortal  sin  entails  on  the  individual,  whose  soul  is  the  temple  of  (Jod. 
Of  a  soul  which  is  in  a  state  of  mortal  sin,  we  can  truly  say:  "0 
how  desolate  is  that  soul,  which  was  formerly  so  rich  in  virtues 
and  merits.  She  was  the  mistress  over  the  powers  of  human  nature, 
and  now,  behold,  she  is  the  slave  of  sin  and  Satan!  Once  she  was 
beautiful,  now  she  is  defaced,  and  full  of  sorrow,  unrest,  and  rem or.se 
of  conscience." 

Comfort  in  suffering.  Almighty  God  did  not  quite  forsake 
His  people.  Even  during  their  captivity  he  raised  up  prophets 
among  them,  to  urge  them  to  do  penance,  to  strengthen 
their  faith,  to  warn  them  against  idolatry,  to  comfort  them 
and  give  them  hope  both  of  deliverance  from  their  present 
captivity,  and  of  the  coming  of  a  future  Saviour.  We  too, 
in  our  troubles  and  adversity,  ought  to  draw  comfort  from 
the  thought  of  our  Divine  Saviour,  Who  endured  unspeakable 
sufferings  for  our  sake.  We  should  also  draw  comfort  and 
courage  from  the  thoughts  of  eternal  life.  St.  Paul  writes: 
aThe  sufferings  of  this  world  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared 
with  the  glory  to  come,  that  shall  be  revealed  in  us" 
(Rom.  8,  18). 

The  eleventh  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  vision  of  Ezechiel 
is,  primarily,  prophetical  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body, 
in  which  all  the  Jews  believed,  even  as  patient  Job  believed 
in  it.  Thus  the  vision  presupposes  and  describes  this  belief, 
and  then  employs  it  to  convey  further  teaching.  By  it  God 
wished  to  say  thus  to  the  Jews:  "You  are  now  dispersed, 
and,  as  it  were,  dead ;  but  I,  your  God,  will  not  forsake  you, 
I  will  gather  you  together  again,  and  take  you  back  to  your 
own  country."  This  promise  was  immediately  and  lite- 
rally fulfilled  by  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  captivity 
(Chapt.  LXXX),  by  which  they  became  once  more  a  nation ; 
but  it  was  more  perfectly  and  gloriously  fulfilled  by  the 
New  Covenant  by  which  God  poured  out  His  Holy  Spirit  on 
all  nations,  and  raised  up  a  greater  and  more  perfect  Israel. 

Longing  for  home.  The  Jews  loved  their  country,  their  Temple 
and  their  worship,  so  that  even  though  they  experienced  no  want  in 
Babylon,  they  pined  to  return  to  their  own  home.  The  more  pious 
among  them  longed  to  celebrate  once  more  the  feasts  of  the  Lord, 
to  offer  sacrifice  and    sing  canticles  of  praise.    We  too  are  living  in 


378  CHAPTER  LXXV. 

banishment  "in  this  vale  of  tears";  for  heaven  is  our  one,  eternal 
home.  We  ought  to  pine  for  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  do  all  we 
can  to  deserve  admittance  thereto. 

Conscientiousness.  Daniel  and  his  three  companions  offer 
us  a  noble  example  of  conscientious  fidelity  in  the  observance 
of  God's  laws.  The  inducement  to  partake  of  the  meats  and 
wine  sent  from  the  king's  table  was  very  great;  but  the 
four  youths  practised  self-denial,  and  contented  themselves 
with  the  poorest  and  most  simple  of  fares,  rather  than  expose 
themselves  to  the  danger  of  sin.  They  acted  thus,  because 
they  were  possessed  by  the  holy  fear  of  God,  and  dreaded 
anything  that  might  offend  Him. 

Fortitude  and  temperance.  They,  furthermore,  offer  us 
a  noble  example  of  fortitude.  Their  temptations  to  unbelief 
and  sin  in  the  luxurious  court  of  the  pagan  king  were 
numerous  and  powerful,  but  Daniel  and  his  companions 
remained  firm  in  faith  and  in  the  observance  of  the  divine 
law.  They  practised  the  greatest  abstemiousness,  and  did 
not  let  themselves  be  led  away  by  the  example  of  the  other 
youths  in  the  palace  who  did  partake  of  the  king's  dishes. 
Ought  this  not  to  put  those  Christians  to  shame  who  have 
not  the  courage  to  confess  their  faith  before  those  who  are 
unbelievers  or  non-Catholics,  and  who  have  not  even  the 
fortitude  or  self-denial  to  abstain  from  meat  on  Fridays! 
Does  this  not  show  great  weakness,  cowardice,  and  want 
of  character! 

The  fruits  of  temperance.  The  abstemiousness  practised 
by  the  four  youths  had  a  good  effect  on  their  bodies  as 
well  as  their  souls.  These  boys  who  were  content  with 
simple  fare,  and  who  did  not  taste  wine,  were  more  healthy, 
fresh  and  comely  than  those  who  ate  and  drank  from  the 
king's  table.  Moderation  in  eating  and  drinking  preserves 
health,  while  the  contrary  course  spoils  it  and  leads  to  many 
diseases.  "By  surfeiting  many  have  perished,  but  he  that 
is  temperate  shall  prolong  life"  (Ecclus.  37,  34).  A  man 
should  eat  to  live,  and  not  live  to  eat.  The  minds  of  these 
youths  were  also  strengthened  by  their  abstemiousness.  They 
learnt   with   ease,  and  made  great  progress  in  knowledge. 


THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY.  379 

They  knew  how  to  govern  themselves  and  advanced  in  every 
virtue.  Moreover,  by  reason  of  their  temperance  they  received 
supernatural  gifts  from  God,  especially  the  gift  of  wisdom, 
and  to  Daniel  was  given  that  of  prophecy.  Temperance, 
practised  for  love  of  God,  is  meritorious  and  wins  many 
graces  for  us. 

Good  example.  Daniel  was  especially  favoured  by  God; 
and  why?  Because  he  showed  a  good  example  to  his  com- 
panions. Even  as  it  is  a  terrible  sin  to  lead  others  to  do 
evil,  so  is  it  meritorious  to  show  to  others  a  good  example, 
and  lead  them  to  do  what  is  right. 

The  greatest  of  honours.  It  was  a  great  honour  for  the  four  youths 
to  be  chosen  by  king  Nabuchodonozor  to  be  in  his  court;  but  it  is 
a  far  greater  honour  to  be  chosen  to  be  the  servants  of  God;  for 
God  is  the  Most  High,  Who  rewards  His  faithful  servants  with  eternal 
glory  and  happiness. 

Conscientiousness  and  fortitude  win  respect  even  from  the  unbelieving. 
We  see  this  in  the  case  of  Daniel  and  his  companions.  Their  faithful 
observance  of  their  religion,  and  their  abstemiousness  clearly  pleased 
the  chief  steward ;  otherwise  he  would  not  have  agreed  to  their 
proposal.  He  had  a  greater  respect  for  these  four  than  for  the  other 
Jewish  youths,  who  ate  without  demur  of  the  heathen  dishes.  In  their 
hearts  even  the  vicious  pay  tribute  to  virtue. 

III.  Application. 

Do  you  take  to  heart  the  admonitions  and  warnings  of 
your  parents  and  teachers,  or  do  you,  by  preference,  listen 
to  bad  companions?  Do  you  follow  the  example  of  those 
who  make  no  account  of  sin?  Just  think  how  terrible  it 
is  for  a  young  heart  to  be  hard  and  impenitent!  If  you 
have  not  amended  your  life  since  your  last  confession,  begin 
at  once.  Make  good  resolutions  every  morning,  and  pray 
for  grace  to  carry  them  out! 

Think  what  terrible  havoc  mortal  sin  makes  in  the  soul. 
Conceive  a  great  horror  of  mortal  sin,  and  resolve  rather 
to  die  than  commit  one. 

Does  the  Holy  Ghost  dwell  within  you ;  or,  in  other  words, 
are  you  in  a  state  of  grace  ?  Do  not  grieve  the  Holy  Ghost 
Who  is  within  you,  by  venial  sin,  and  do  not  drive  Him 
from  you  by  mortal  sin. 


380  CHAPTER  LXXV1. 

Had  you  been  in  Daniel's  place,  would  you  have  acted 
as  he  did  ?  Do  you  care  more  for  good  eating  and  drinking 
than  for  anything  else?  Are  you,  sometimes,  discontented 
with  the  food  which  is  set  before  you?  Have  you  ever 
sinned  by  greediness?  Are  you  fond  of  strong  drinks?  From 
henceforward  practise  abstemiousness.  Choose  the  worst 
rather  than  the  best  of  what  is  offered  to  you.  Faithfully 
observe  all  the  laws  relating  to  abstinence. 

Chapter  LXXVI. 
DANIEL  SAVES  SUSANNA. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 
MONG  the  captive  Jews  in  Babylon1  there  was  a  man 


A 


named  Joakim,  whose  wife,  Susanna,  was  very  beautiful, 
and  feared  God.  Now  Joakim  being  very  rich  and  influential, 
it  happened  that  many  of  his  countrymen  resorted  to  his 
house.  Among  these  were  two  of  the  ancients  who  had 
been  appointed  judges  for  that  year2.  The  two  old  men 
were  considered  by  the  people  as  wise  and  virtuous,  but  in 
reality  they  were  very  wicked. 

Now  the  visitors  that  came  to  Joakim  generally  left  at 
noon,  and  then  Susanna  would  walk  forth  into  the  orchard 
near  by  to  refresh  herself  in  the  shade. 3  The  two  old  men 
knew  this,  and  one  day  they  went  into  the  orchard  and  hid 
themselves  behind  the  trees.  A  little  later  Susanna  came 
in  and  fastened  the  gate,  believing  herself  alone.  Then  the 
wicked  old  men  came  forth  from  their  hiding-place  and  tried 
to  make  her  commit  sin.4 

Susanna  was  horrified  at  their  proposal;  but  they  said 
that  if  she  did  not  consent  to  their  wishes,  they  would 
publicly  accuse  her  of  a  great  crime. 5  Then  Susanna  raised 
her  beautiful  eyes  to  heaven,  sighed  and  said:  "I  am 
straitened  on  every  side,  for  if  I  do  this  thing  it  is  death 
to  me6,  and  if  I  do  it  not  I  shall  not  escape  your  hands.7 
But  it  is  better  for  me  to  fall  into  your  hands,  without 
doing  it,  than  to  sin  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord." 


DANIEL  SAVES  SUSANNA. 


881 


She  then  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice ;  but  the  elders  cried 
out  against  her.  One  of  them  ran  to  the  orchard-gate,  and 
opened  it.  that  the  people  might  enter. 

1  This  city  had  been  made  by  Nabuchodonozor  into  the  capital 
of  his  kingdom,  and  he  had  enlarged  it  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
measured  fifty-four  miles  in  circumference,  and  was  surrounded  by 
an  enormous  wall,  flanked  by  two  hundred  and  fifty  towers.  —  2  being 
esteemed  by  the  people  as  righteous  men.  Nabuchodonozor  had  allowed 
the  Jews  to  govern  themselves  and  live  in  accordance  with  their 
own  laws.  The  court  of  justice  was  held  in  the  house  of  Joakim,  on 
account  of  his  position  among  the  Jews.  —  s  Large  gardens  and 
pleasure-grounds  were  attached  to  the  houses  of  the  luxurious  city 
of  Babylon.  —  4  against  chastity.  —  5  exposing  her  to  the  danger  of 
loss  of  life  and  honour.  —  6  "If  I  commit  this  sin,  it  will  mean 
death  to  my  soul,  by  causing  it  to  lose  grace  and  eternal  life."  — 
7  "If  I  do  not  commit  it,  you,  by  false  witness,  will  give  me  over 
to  death."  Thus  Susanna  was  in  danger  of  death  on  both  sides;  but 
she  did  not  even  hesitate  in  her  choice,  saying  that  she  would  rather 
die  innocent  than  commit  sin. 

Then  he  and  his  companion  accused  Susanna  of  a  most 
wicked  act.  Next  day,  accompanied  by  her  parents  and 
children,  and  other  relatives8,  Susanna  was  brought  before 


S82  CHAPTER  LXXVI. 

the  tribunal  of  justice,  where  she  was  condemned  and 
sentenced  to  death.  But  she,  weeping,  looked  up  to  heaven, 
for  her  heart  had  confidence  in  God9. 

And  the  Lord  heard  her  prayer.  As  she  was  led  out  to 
death10,  Daniel,  inspired  from  above11,  exclaimed:  "I  am 
clean  from  the  blood  of  this  woman."  Then  all  the  people 
began  to  ask  him:  "What  meaneth  this  word  that  thou 
hast  spoken?"  He  told  them  to  return  to  judgment,  because 
the  elders  had  borne  false  witness  against  Susanna.  Then 
the  people  went  back  in  haste.  But  Daniel  ordered  the  two 
accusers  to  be  brought  in  separately. 

This  being  done,  he  said  to  the  first  that  came:  "0  thou 
that  art  grown  old  in  evil  days,  now  are  thy  sins  come 
out.  Tell  me,  under  what  tree  thou  sawest  them  conversing 
together?"  He  said:  "Under  a  mastic  -  tree "  12.  Daniel 
replied:  "Thou  hast  lied  against  thy  own  head."13  Then 
he  sent  him  away,  and  had  the  other  brought  in,  whom  he 
asked:  "Tell  me,  under  what  tree  didst  thou  take  them 
conversing  together ? "  He  answered:  "Under  a  holm-tree". 
Daniel  replied:  "Thou  hast  lied  against  thy  own  head." 

The  people  saw  by  the  contrary  statements  of  the  old 
men  that  their  testimony  was  false,  and  rising  up  against 
them,  they  put  them  both  to  death.  Susanna  was  restored 
to  her  joyful  husband  and  children,  and  they  and  all  the 
people  blessed  God,  Who  always  saves  and  protects  those 
who  place  their  hopes  in  Him.  Whereupon  Daniel  became 
great  in  the  sight  of  the  people14. 

8  They  all  wept,  for  they  knew  Susanna's  piety  and  chastity,  ami 
held  her  to  be  innocent.  —  9  and  knew  that  Ho  could  save  her  if  it 
were  His  holy  will  to  do  so.  —  10  by  stoning.  —  ll  to  know  Susanna's 
innocence  and    to   take   the  right  means  of  bringing    it    to   light.  - 
12  This  tree  does  not  grow  in  Europe.    It  has  a  sweet  smelling  sap, 
from  which   incense  is  made.  —  13  to   your  own  ruin.  —  H  He  was 
honoured    and   respected,    because   the    people    recognised    that   Cod's 
Spirit  dwelt  within  him. 
II.  Commentary. 
fk     The  Omnipresence  of  God.    The  old   sinners    "perverted 
their  own  mind  and  turned  away  their  eyes  that  they  might 
not    look    into    heaven,     nor     remember    just    judgments" 


DANIEL  SAVES  SUSANNA.  383 

(Dan.  13,  9).  They  intentionally  banished  all  thought  of 
the  ever  present  and  most  just  God,  and  said  to  Susanna: 
\  '  S  ^J&SJ^&J^  But  on  the  other  hand  the  holy  woman 
did  remember  Him,  and  said:  "It  is  better  for  me  to  fall 
into  your  hands  without  sinning,  than  to  sin  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord." 

The  Omniscience  j?£  the  Eternal  God.  "0  Eternal  God,^ 
Who  knowesTTndden  things,  Who  knowest  all  things  before 
they  come  to  pass,  Thou  knowest  that  they  have  borne  false 
witness  against  me."  God  knows  everything  that  is  hidden, 
what  is  past,  and  what  is  still  to  be.  He  revealed  to  Daniel 
that  the  two  elders  had  borne  false  witness  against  Susanna ; 
and  it  was  the  thought  of  God's  omniscience  that  gave 
Susanna  courage  and  comfort  in  her  hour  of  peril. 

The  ^£^££j£j£^-  He  brought  to  light  the  innocence 
of  Susanna,  and  the  guilt  of  her  accusers,  in  the  most 
wonderful  manner,  in  order  that  she  might  be  rewarded, 
and  they,  punished.  God  often  manifests  His  justice  in  this 
way,  even  upon  earth. 

Fortune.  Susanna  was  a  valiant  woman,  a  very  heroine 
of  virtue.  She  preferred  to  die  rather  than  sin.  St.  Chrysostom 
says  of  her:  "Susanna  stood  as  a  lambbej^wjentwowolves. 
She  was  left  aGneHBeliweeli^tn^^  one  to 

help  her  but  God  alone.  He  looked  down  from  heaven,  and 
suffered  the  dispute  to  make  clear  both  the  chastity  of 
Susanna,  and  the  wickedness  of  the  elders ;  so  that  she  might 
become  a  glorious  example  to  women  of  all  times.  Susanna 
endured  a  severe  fight,  more  severe  than  that  of  Joseph. 
He,  a  man,  contended  with  one  woman;  but  Susanna,  a 
weak  woman,  had  to  contend  with  two  men,  and  was  a 
spectacle  to  men  and  to  angels.  The  slander  against  her 
fidelity  to  her  marriage- vow,  the  fear  of  death,  her  con- 
demnation by  all  the  people,  the  abhorrence  of  her  husband 
and  relations,  the  tears  of  her  servants,  the  grief  of  all  her 
household,  she  foresaw  all  this,  and  yet  nothing  could  shake 
her  fortitude." 

The  way  to  preserve  chastity.  Susanna's  example  shows 
us  how  we  ought  to  act  when  tempted  to  sin  against  holy 


384  CHAPTER  LXXVI. 

purity.  She  not  only  reminded  herself  of  the  Presence  of 
the  Just  and  Holy  God,  but  she  called  loudly  for  help  to 
drive  away  the  two  wicked  tempters.  Thus,  if  we  were  to 
find  ourselves  in  a  similar  position,  we  ought  to  think  of 
God  and  crave  his  help,  and  besides  this  (if  we  cannot  flee, 
as  Joseph  did  in  the  house  of  Putiphar),  we  should  seek  the 
help  of  others. 

Consequences  of  want  of  chastity.  The  two  elders  committed 
sin  upon  sin.  They  coveted  their  neighbour's  wife;  they 
intentionally  sought  her  out,  and  by  threats  tried  to  drive 
her  to  sin;  they  calumniated  her  to  her  maids;  they  bore 
false  witness  against  her  in  the  court  of  justice ;  and,  finally, 
by  their  wicked  lies,  caused  her  to  be  condemned  to  death. 
The  source  of  all  these  sins  was  want  of  chastity.  They 
allowed  impure  desires  to  rise  in  their  hearts,  and  these 
unresisted  desires  drove  them  to  further  sins.  Their  sin  was 
all  the  more  grievous,  because  both  these  men  were  judges, 
and  therefore  bound  to  give  a  good  example,  to  protect 
virtue,  and  to  punish  vice  and  crime.  See,  then,  what  evil 
consequences  follow  on  impure  desires!  They  lead  to  many 
sins,  to  deadness  of  conscience,  injustice,  and  even  to  murder. 

The  beauty  of  virtue.  In  the  same  way  that  we  detest 
the  hateful  crime  of  the  elders,  we  love  Susanna  for  the 
beautiful  and  honourable  virtues  which  she  exhibited.  Her 
I ><>dy~  was"  oeautiful,  but  lier  soul  was  a  thousand  times  more 
so.  She  was  chaste  and  faithful,  because  she  feared  God. 
She  dreaded  sin  as  the  greatest  of  all  evils,  and  preferred 
dishonour  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  and  loss  of  life,  to  the 
committing  of  a  grievous  sin.  She  has  therefore  been 
praised  and  honoured  for  centuries  as  a  model  of  holy  fear, 
fortitude,  fidelity  and  chastity.  We  can  apply  to  her  the 
» words  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  "0  how  beautiful  is  the  chaste 
generation  with  glory :  for  the  memory  thereof  is  immortal  : 
because  it  is  known  both  with  God  and  with  men"  (Wisd.  4, 1). 

The  prayer  full  of  confidence  offered  up  by  Susanna  was 
heard,  and  God  made  known  her  innocence. 

To  set  prisoners  free  is  a  work  of  mercy.  Daniel  did  this, 
for,  by  the  inspiration   of  God,  he   obtained   the   liberty   of 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.  385 

Susanna,   who   had  been   unjustly   put  in   prison   and    con- 
demned to  death. 

The  shame  of  sinners  at  the  Last  Judgment.  What  shame  and  terror 
must  those  two  old  sinners  have  felt  when  their  lies  and  wickedness 
were  revealed  before  all  the  people,  who  had  hitherto  esteemed  them 
to  be  just  men !  Such  will  be  the  experience  of  many  Christians  who 
have  succeeded  in  hiding  their  secret  sins  and  evil  doings  from  men, 
when,  at  the  Last  Day,  they  find  their  hypocrisy  unmasked  before 
the  eyes  of  the  whole  world ,  and  they  themselves  covered  with 
confusion  and  ignominy,  and  sentenced  to  everlasting  death! 

HI.  Application. 

Is  your  holy  fear  of  God  strong  enough  to  enable  you  to 
stand  firm  as  Susanna  did,  in  the  midst  of  severe  temptations  ? 
Do  not  suffer  either  flattery  or  threats  to  lead  you  into  sin ! 
Pray  for  the  gift  of  holy  fear. 

Resist  the  beginnings  of  evil.  Do  not  let  any  impure 
thought  or  dishonourable  desire  take  hold  of  you.  Recollect 
immediately  the  Presence  of  God,  and  commend  yourself  to 
the  protection  of  the  most  pure  Virgin. 

Chapter  LXXVII. 

THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.— THE   THREE  YOUNG  MEN 
IN  THE  FIERY  FURNACE. 


N 


I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

ABUCHODONOZOR  had  a  dream1  which  terrified  him 
greatly.2  He  saw  a  large  statue;  the  head  was  of 
gold,  the  breast  and  arms  of  silver,  the  belly  and  thighs 
of  brass,  the  legs  of  iron,  and  the  feet  part  iron  and  part 
clay 3.  Then  he  noticed  a  stone  rolling  from  the  mountain 4, 
which  struck  the  statue  on  the  feet  and  shattered  it;  and 
behold,  the  stone  became  a  great  mountain  and  filled  the 
whole  earth.  None  of  the  wise  men5  could  interpret  the 
dream6.  Then  the  king  called  for  Daniel  to  whom  God 
had  revealed  the  meaning  of  the  dream. 

The  whole  statue  signified  the  great  empires  of  the  world 
that  would  succeed  each  other.  The  head  of  gold  betokened 
the  reign  of  Nabuchodonozor  himself,  most  glorious   among 

Knkcht,  Commentary.    I.  17 


386  CHAPTER  LXXVII. 

kings;  the  breast  and  the  arms  of  silver  represented  the 
next  empire,  that  of  the  Medes  and  Persians ;  the  belly  and 
the  thighs  of  brass  prefigured  the  dominion  of  Alexander 
the  Great;  the  legs  and  feet  of  iron  signified  the  great 
Roman  empire  which  conquered  all  the  others.  The  stone 
that  fell  from  the  mountain7,  typified  a  new  kingdom  that 
God  Himself  would  found  on  earth,  and  which,  from  a  small 
beginning,  would  gradually  grow  strong  and  overcome  all 
other  kingdoms,  and  that  it  would  last  for  ever.  The  king, 
hearing  the  interpretation,  said  to  Daniel:  " Verily  your 
God  is  the  God  of  gods  8,  and  Lord  of  kings,  and  a  revealer 
of  hidden  things."  He  raised  Daniel  to  a  high  station9  and 
bestowed  on  him  many  gifts. 

1  A  vision  shown  to  him  in  the  night.  —  2  When  he  awoke  he 
knew  that  he  had  had  a  dream  which  had  filled  him  with  fear,  but 
he  could  not  remember  what  it  was.  The  cause  of  his  fear  is  fully 
explained  by  Daniel's  description,  for  the  crashing  fall  of  the  huge 
statue  must  have  been  terrible.  —  3  The  parts  of  the  statue  were 
made  of  different  materials:  the  lower  the  part,  the  less  costly  the 
material.  —  4  without  the  intervention  of  man.  —  5  They  were 
required  not  only  to  interpret  the  dream,  but  to  recall  to  the  king's 
mind  what  the  dream  was.  This  was  asking  a  great  deal;  but  the 
king  made  the  demand,  because  these  wise  men  gave  out  that  there 
was  nothing  they  did  not  know ;  so  that  he  thought  he  was  requiring 
nothing  unreasonable.  —  6  Because  of  their  failure  to  interpret  the 
dream,  all  the  wise  men  were  condemned  to  death.  Daniel  and  his 
friends  were  included  in  the  condemnation,  for  they  came  under  the 
category  of  "wise  men".  —  7  "cut  out  without  hands".  —  8  the 
greatest  among  the  gods.  The  king  acknowledged  that  the  God  of  Daniel 
was  greater  than  the  pagan  gods,  because  He  alone  had  revealed 
the  meaning  of  the  dream.  —  9  Governor  of  the  province  of  Babylon. 

About  this  time  king  Nabuchodonozor  made  a  great  statue 
of  gold 10,  which  he  placed  on  a  pillar  in  the  plain  of  Babylon. 
All  the  princes  and  nobles  of  his  kingdom  were  invited  to 
assist  at  the  dedication n  of  this  statue.  Heralds  were  sent 
out  everywhere  to  announce  to  all  the  people  that  when 
they  heard  the  sound  of  the  trumpets  and  flutes  and  other 
instruments  of  music,  they  should  fall  down  and  adore  the 
golden  statue.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  no  one  disobeyed 
this  order  except  Ananias,  Azarias  and  Misael 12. 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL. 


387 


It  was  announced  to  the  king  that  the  three  young  men 
had  refused  to  worship  the  golden  statue.  Then  Nabucho- 
donozor,  full  of  rage,  said  to  them:  "Who  is  the  god  that A j 
shall  deliver  you  out  of  my  hand?"13  They  answered:  "Our 
God,  Whom  we  worship,  is  able  to  save  us  from  the  furnace 
of  burning  fire;  but  if  He  will  not,  we  will  not  worship  thy  "ft" 
god,  nor  adore  the  golden  statue."  u  The  king  then  ordered 
that  a  furnace  should  be  heated  seven  times  more  than 
ordinarily,  and  that  three  of  the  strongest  soldiers  of  his 
army  should  bind  the  young  men  and  cast  them,  clothed 
as  they  were,  into  the  furnace. 

The  order  was  instantly  executed.  But  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  went  down  with  the  three  holy  youths  into  the  furnace, 
and  behold,  inside,  the  flames  were  extinguished,  but  outside, 
the  fires  burned  and  flashed  and  destroyed  the  men  who 
had  executed  the  king's  cruel  order.  They  were  instantly 
consumed  by  the  raging  fire. 

Within  the  furnace  the  air  was  cool  and  fresh,  like  to 
the  breeze  when  the  dew  is  falling.    And   the  three  young 

17* 


388  CHAPTER  LXXVIT. 

men,  seeing  themselves  so  wonderfully  preserved,  sang  a 
glorious  canticle  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  which  the 
Church  of  God  still  sings  in  her  divine  service. 

The   king,    astonished15    to    hear   voices    in   the   furnace 

k singing,  rose  up  and  said  to  his  nobles:  "Did  we  not  cast 

three  men,  bound,  into   the  midst   of  the  fire?     I  see  four 

men,  loose,  and  walking  in  the   midst   of  the  fire,  and  the 

form  of  the  fourth  is  like  the  Son  of  God."16 

Then  going  to  the  door  of  the  furnace,  he  said:  "Ye 
servants  of  the  Most  High  God,  go  ye  forth  and  come." 
Thereupon  the  young  men  came  forth  safe  and  sound:  not 
so  much  as  a  hair  of  their  heads  was  burned,  nor  was 
the  smell  of  fire  on  their  garments.  Seeing  this  prodigy, 
Nabuchodonozor  blessed  God17,  saying:  "Blessed  be  the  God 
of  Ananias,  Misael,  and  Azarias,  Who  has  sent  His  angel, 
and  delivered  His  servants  that  believed  in  Him." 

He  then  decreed  that  whosoever,  in  all  his  kingdom, 
blasphemed  the  God  Whom  these  young  men  adored  should 
be  put  to  death,  for  that  there  was  no  other  God  Who  had 
power  to  save.  The  three  young  men  were  raised  to  high 
dignities  in  Babylon. 

The  last  kingdom,  or  the  stone  falling  from  the  mountain, 
mentioned  by  Daniel,  signifies  the  Catholic  Church  which 
Jesus  Christ  established  upon  earth.  At  first  it  was  small, 
but  it  kept  on  increasing,  and  still  increases,  and  will  endure 
to  the  end  of  the  world. 

10  The  image  probably  represented  Bel,  the  chief  god  of  the  Baby- 
lonians, in  whose  person  light  and  fire  were  idolatrously  worshipped. 
—  ll  the  first  time  of  its  being  publicly  worshipped.  —  12  These 
three  were  among  the  principal  men  of  the  kingdom,  for,  at  Daniel's 
proposal,  they  had  been  made  deputy-governors,  under  him,  of  the 
province  of  Babylon.  For  some  reason  not  recorded  Daniel  himself 
was  not  present  at  this  dedication  of  the  image.  —  13  The  king  meant 
to  say:  "No  god  can  save  you  from  my  power."  Evidently,  the 
impression  made  on  Nabuchodonozor's  mind  by  the  wonderful  dream 
and  its  interpretation  had  faded  from  his  memory,  for  several  years 
had  elapsed  since  then.  —  14  By  this  beautiful  answer  the  young 
men  conveyed  their  belief  that  God  could  save  them  if  He  would, 
but  that  they  would  not  dare  demand  that  He  should  do  so,  for  they 
did  not  think  themselves  worthy  that  a  miracle  should  be  worked  on 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.  389 

their  behalf.  "Anyhow,"  said  they,  "we  will  not  worship  the  image!" 

is  and  filled  with  fear.  — -  16  like  a  higher  and  supernatural  being. 

—  n  This   great   miracle   again  convinced  Nabuchodonozor   that   the 
God  Whom  the  young  men  served  was  the  Most  High  God. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  object  of  the  revelation  made  to  Nabuchodonozor.  Only 
an  obscure  revelation  was  made  directly  to  the  heathen  king. 
This  filled  him  with  fear,  and  made  him  anxious  and  ready 
for  its  further  interpretation,  which  was  to  be  given  by  a 
chosen  prophet  of  God.  The  object  of  this  revelation  was 
manifold.  Its  first  object  was  to  make  known  to  the  king 
and  wise  men  the  greatness  and  wisdom  of  God.  This  object 
was  so  far  gained  that  Nabuchodonozor  professed  himself 
to  be  convinced  that  the  God  of  the  Jews  was  greater  and 
more  powerful  than  the  gods  of  the  heathen.  "ySecondly,  it 
was  to  make  known  to  the  proud  king,  for  his  humiliation, 
that  his  great  kingdoin  would  not  last  for  ever,  but  would 
fall  after  his  death.  f/Thirdly,  it  was  meant  to  turn  the  eyes 
of  the  whole  world!  to  the  Messias,  and  the  everlasting 
kingdom  which  He  was  to  found.  Such  were  the  chief  objects 
of  the  revelation  made  to  Daniel.  It  is  essentially  a  promise 
of  the  Messias. 

This  twelfth  promise  of  the  Messias  treats  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  (i.  e.  of  the  Messias)  in  contradistinction  to  the  king- 
doms of  this  world.  The  first  part  of  the  vision  foretold 
that  three  great  kingdoms  would  in  succession  follow 
Nabuchodonozor' s  Babylonian  empire.  This  came  to  pass. 
The  Medeo-Persian  empire  followed  that  of  Babylon ;  to  that 
succeeded  the  Macedonian  empire,  and  to  that  again  the 
Roman  empire.  This  last  was  an  iron  empire,  being  kept 
together  by  the  power  of  the  sword ;  its  feet,  or  foundation, 
were  of  iron  mixed  with  earth,  and,  on  account  of  this  weak- 
ness, it  fell,  first  into  two  separate  empires,  and  finally  into  many 
separate  states.  At  this  stage  of  the  world's  history  it  was 
that  God  said  He  Himself  would  found  another  kingdom, 
which  would  overthrow  paganism,  and  itself  remain  standing 
for  ever,  this  kingdom  being  the  kingdom  of  the  Messias. 
The  stone  which,  without  any  intervention   on  the   part  of 


390  CHAPTER  LXXV1I. 

man,  rolled  down  the  mountain,  signifies  the  Son  of  God, 
Who  came  down  from  heaven,  and  by  the  operation  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  became  Man.  He  founded  a  spiritual  kingdom 
which  fills  the  whole  earth,  and  which  will  last  for  ever, 
namely  the  Catholic  Church.  Our  Lord  calls  Himself  a  stone 
(Mat.  21,  42),  and  St.  Peter  calls  Him  the  "stone  which  is 
become  the  head  of  the  corner"  (Acts  4,  11). 

The  Church  is  Catholic.  According  to  Daniel's  prophecy, 
the  kingdom  of  the  Messias,  which  was  to  overcome  its 
worldly  enemies  and  last  for  ever,  was  to  be  universal  as 
to  time  and  place,  or,  in  other  words,  Catholic.  The  pro- 
phecy finds  its  fulfilment  only  in  the  Roman-Catholic  Church. 
For  she  was  originally  small,  but  afterwards  spread  gradually 
over  the  whole  world,  and,  in  spite  of  all  her  enemies,  has 
endured  to  this  day.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  the  Roman- 
Catholic  Church  is  the  true  Church,  the  kingdom  of  God, 
having  its  origin  in  heaven,  and  promised  by  God,  through 
His  prophet  Daniel. 

God  governs  the  world.  This  prophecy  revealed  Almighty 
God  to  Nabuchodonozor  as  the  "  Lord  of  kings "  or,  in  other 
words,  as  the  Lord  and  ruler  of  the  world,  from  Whom  all 
power  comes  ("The  God  of  heaven  hath  given  thee  a  kingdom, 
and  strength  and  power  and  glory,"  said  Daniel),  by  Whom 
nations  are  overthrown,  and  raised  up  again. 

The  power  of  prayer  said  in  common.  It  was  only  after 
Daniel  and  his  three  friends  had  prayed  together  fervently 
and  confidently  that  the  interpretation  of  the  dream  was 
revealed,  and  that,  thereby,  not  only  Daniel  and  his  friends, 
but  all  the  other  wise  men  and  soothsayers  were  saved  from 
death.  Our  Lord  has  encouraged  us  to  pray  in  common  by 
giving  us  the  promise:  "If  two  of  you  shall  consent  on 
earth  concerning  anything  whatsoever  they  shall  ask,  it 
shall  be  done  for  them  by  my  Father  Who  is  in  heaven" 
(Mat.  18,  19). 

Humility.  Daniel  was  humble.  He  gave  the  glory  to 
God,  declaring  to  the  king  that  it  was  from  Him  that  the 
interpretation  came.  And  because  he  was  humble,  God 
exalted  him. 


THE  PROPHET  DANIEL.  391 

Anger,  a  capital  sin.  What  induced  Nabuchodonozor  to 
issue  the  cruel  edict  that  all  the  wise  men  and  diviners  in 
the  kingdom  were  to  be  killed?  He  was  angry  at  their  not 
being  able  to  do  what  he  wished,  and,  in  his  violent  anger, 
he  gave  the  cruel  order. 

Despotism  and  cruelty  of  pagan  kings.  The  command  to  kill  all  the 
diviners  and  wise  men  was  unjust  and  cruel.  It  shows  how  despotically 
pagan  kings  governed,  and  how  little  regard  they  had  for  the  lives 
of  their  subjects.  Christianity  put  an  end  to  that  kind  of  cruelty, 
for  it  teaches  that  all  men  are  equally  made  to  the  image  of  God, 
and  that  if  kings  do  not  govern  according  to  the  law  of  God,  they 
will  have  to  render  an  account  to  Him. 

The  Power  and  Mercy  of  God.  The  mighty  miracle  which 
God  wrought  in  order  to  save  His  faithful  servants,  was  a 
great  act  of  mercy  towards  the  heathen.  He  thereby  revealed 
His  power  to  the  king,  and  to  all  the  great  men  of  the 
country,  and  showed  that  the  very  elements  obey  Him. 
Everybody  could  see  that  Bel,  whom  the  young  men  despised, 
was  powerless  to  hurt  them,  and  that  the  God  Whom  they 
worshipped  was  alone  Almighty.  The  king  confessed  this 
when  he  issued  the  decree  that  the  God  of  the  three  youths 
was  the  "Most  High  God,  and  more  mighty  than  any  other 
god."  He  was  seized  by  so  great  a  fear  of  God,  that  he 
forbade  any  blasphemy  against  Him,  under  pain   of   death. 

Fortitude.  It  is  impossible  not  to  admire  the  fortitude  of 
the  three  young  men,  whereby  they  remained  true  to  their 
faith,  and  refused  to  worship  idols  in  spite  of  the  king's 
terrible  threats.  If  they  had  bowed  down  before  the  golden 
image  they  would  have  denied  their  faith  in  the  true  God, 
and  have  been  guilty  of  idolatry.  But  they  feared  God  more 
than  the  king,  and  loved  Him  more  than  aught  besides;  so 
they  preferred  to  be  burnt  to  death  rather  than  offend  Him 
grievously.  The  abstinence  which  these  noble  youths  had  for 
so  long  practised  enabled  them  to  attain  to  heroic  fortitude. 
Their  unfailing  temperance  confirmed  them  in  the  fear  and 
love  of  God,  and  obtained  for  them  the  grace  of  martyrdom. 
Finally,  their  fortitude  was  rewarded  by  God's  saving  them 
from  death  in  a  wonderful  way. 


392  CHArTER  LXXV11. 

Resignation  to  God's  will.  The  example  of  the  three  young 
men  shows  us  that  real  confidence  in  God  must  be  united 
to  an  entire  resignation  to  His  will.  They  trusted  firmly; 
"God  can  save  us  if  He  will,"  said  they,  and  they  also 
prayed  to  be  saved;  but  they  left  it  entirely  to  God  whether 
He  would  save  them  or  not,  and  declared  that  in  no  case 
would  they  worship  the  idol. 

Prayer  of  praise  and  thanksgiving.  When  God  saved  the 
three  youths  from  death  by  means  of  His  angel,  they  began 
with  a  loud  voice  to  praise  and  thank  God.  We  too  ought 
always  to  praise  and  thank  Him  when  we  receive  benefits, 
or  are  saved  from  danger. 

The  three  theological  virtues  of  faith,  hope  and  charity  were  most 
perfectly  practised  by  the  three  youths. 

Denial  of  faith.  In  conclusion  I  will  put  to  you  one  question : 
Ought  not  the  three  young  men  to  have  obeyed  the  king's  command  ? 
Ought  they  not  to  have  said  to  themselves:  "It  would  not  be  right 
to  offend  the  king  who  has  been  so  good  to  us,  and  who  has  entrusted 
us  with  important  posts.  We  will,  therefore,  outwardly  conform  to 
his  wishes,  and  prostrate  ourselves ;  but  in  our  hearts  we  will  despise 
the  idol,  and  worship  the  true  God?"  Ought  they  not  to  have  acted 
thus?  No!  for  they  would  have  outwardly  denied  their  faith,  and 
have  led  the  pagans  to  think  that  they  believed  in  Bel. 

III.  Application. 

Pray  to  the  Almighty  and  All-wise  God  with  the  deepest 
reverence.  Give  yourself  over  confidently  to  His  wise  and 
good  Providence,  for  He  governs  the  lives  of  individuals  and 
of  nations  as  He  will.  Say  with  St.  Paul  (Rom.  11,  33 — 36): 
"0  the  depths  of  the  riches  of  the  wisdom  and  of  the  know- 
ledge of  God !  How  incomprehensible  are  His  judgments, 
and  how  unsearchable  His  ways  .  .  .  For  of  Him  and  by  Him 
and  in  Him  are  all  things;  to  Him  be  glory  for  ever!" 

Are  you  as  ready  as  were  Ananias,  Misael,  and  Azaiias 
to  suffer  death  rather  than  offend  God?  If  you  are  not 
so  decided,  then  you  do  not  love  God  above  all  things.  Say 
to-day  three  Hail  Maries  for  the  increase  of  your  faith, 
the  confirmation  of  your  hope,  and  the  kindling  of  your 
love. 


KING  BALTASSAR.— THE  GOD  BEL.  393 

Chapter  LXXVIII. 
KING  BALTASSAR.— THE  GOD  BEL. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  the  death  of  Nabuchodonozor,  Baltassar,  his  grand- 
son, ascended  the  throne.  One  day  Baltassar  gave  a  great 
banquet *  to  the  nobles  of  his  kingdom,  and  ordered  the  golden 
cups,  which  his  grandfather  had  taken  from  the  Temple  of 
Jerusalem,  to  be  brought  forth  and  to  be  used  at  the  banquet. 

The  sacred  vessels  were  brought,  and  the   king   and   his  , 
wives  and  his  officers   drank  from   them,  and  they   praised  ' 
their   gods   of  gold   and   of  silver  and   of  stone.     At   that  • 
moment   a  hand   appeared,  and   fingers   were   seen   writing 
three  words  upon  the  wall  over  against  the  king.  Baltassar  f 
grew  pale  2  and  trembled,  for  the  joints  of  that  hand  werei 
moving   and   wrote :   Mane,  Thecel,  Phares.     He   called  for  J 
his  wise  men,  that  they  might  interpret  the   writing.     But  I 
none  of  them  could  do  so.    Then  Daniel,  who  had  received  ^ 
from  God  the  gift  of  prophecy,  together  with  that  of  explaining 
hidden  things,  came  forth,  and  spoke  to  the  king: 

"  Thou  hast  lifted  up  thyself  against  the  Lord  of  heaven 3. 
Thou  hast  praised  thy  gods  of  gold  and  silver ;  but  the  Lord 
of  heaven  Who  hath  thy  breath  in  His  hands,  thou  hast 
not  glorified.  Thou  knowest  that  thy  grandfather  was 
punished  for  his  pride;  that  he  was  driven  away  from  thef 
sons  of  men,  and  that  he  ate  grass  in  the  field  with  the  J 
ox  and  the  ass,  and  yet  thou  hast  not  humbled  thy  heart. 

"Wherefore  God  hath  sent  the  fingers  of  the  hand  to  write, 
and  this  is  the  writing,  and  this  is  the  interpretation  thereof: 
Mane :  God  hath  numbered  thy  kingdom  4,  and  hath  finished 
it.  Thecel :  Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balance  and  found  wanting  5. 
Phares:  Thy  kingdom  is  divided,  and  is  given  to  the  Medes 
and  Persians."  That  very  night  Baltassar  was  slain  6  and  the 
prophecy  of  Daniel  was  thus  fulfilled.  Some  time  after,  the 
army  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  under  Darius,  their  great 
leader,  took  the  city  of  Babylon,  and  divided  the  kingdom 7. 

1  This  was  on  a  day  when,  every  year,  the  Babylonians  celebrated 
a  great  feast  in   honour    of  their   gods.     It  was  a  great  sacrilege  to  > 
use  the  sacred  vessels  of  the  Temple  in  honour  of  their  gods.    "While 

17** 


394  CHAPTER  LXXVIII. 

they  drank,  they  praised  their  gods  of  gold  and  of  silver,  of  brass, 
of  iron  and  of  wood  and  of  stones  "  (Dan.  5,  4) ;  and  by  so  doing  they 
^treated  with  contempt  the  true  God  to  Whom  the  vessels  were  con- 
secrated. —  2  He  was  pale  from  fear,  for  his  guilty  conscience  told 
him  that  the  apparition  could  foretell  nothing  favourable  to  him.  — 
3  opposed  Him,  and,  as  it  were,  challenged  Him.  —  4  The  days  of 
your  rule  have  come  to  an  end.  —  5  You  are  found  unworthy  either 
to  live  or  reign  any  longer.  —  6  by  his  brother-in-law.  —  7  The 
northern  part  fell  to  the  share  of  the  Medes,  and  the  southern  part 
was  possessed  by  the  Persians.  When,  soon  after,  the  king  of  the 
Medes  died,  leaving  no  children,  both  Babylon  and  Media  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Persian  king,  Cyrus. 

But  Cyrus,  king  of  Persia,  and  successor  of  Darius,  soon 
took  possession  of  all  the  Assyrian  empire,  of  which  Babylon 
was  the  capital.  He  treated  Daniel  with  marked  respect  and 
made  him  sit  down  at  his  own  table.  At  this  time  the  god 
Bel  was  worshipped  in  Babylon  as  the  supreme  deity.  There 
were  spent  upon  him  every  day  twelve  large  measures  of 
flour,  forty  sheep  and  sixty  vessels  of  wine. 

The  king  went  every  day  to  adore  this  god  Bel.  But 
Daniel  adored  the  true  God.  Then  the  king  asked  him  why 
he  did  not  adore  Bel.  Daniel  replied  that  he  adored  the 
true  and  living  God,  Who  created  earth  and  heaven,  and 
whose  power  extends  over  all  things.  The  king,  much 
surprised,  asked  Daniel  if  he  did  not  believe  that  Bel  was 
a  living  god,  seeing  how  much  he  consumed  every  day. 

Daniel  smiled  and  said :  "  0  king,  be  not  deceived,  for  this 
Bel  is  clay  within  and  brass  without,  neither  hath  he  eaten 
|at  any  time."  The  king,  being  angry,  called  for  the  priests 
'of, the  god,  and  said  to  them:  "If  ye  tell  me  not  who  it  is 
:hat  eats  up  these  provisions,  ye  shall  die.  But  if  ye  can  show 
:hat  Bel  eateth  these  things,  Daniel  shall  die,  because  he  hath 
[blasphemed  against  Bel."  Daniel  agreed  to  the  king's  proposal. 
Then  the  king,  accompanied  by  Daniel,  went  to  the  temple 
of  Bel.  And  the  priests  of  Bel  said  to  the  king.  "Behold, 
we  go  out,  and  do  thou,  0  king,  set  on  the  meats,  and  make 
ready  the  wine,  and  shut  the  door  fast,  and  seal  it  with 
thy  own  ring;  and  when  thou  comest  in  the  morning,  if 
thou  find  not  that  Bel  hath  eaten  up  all,  we  will  suffer  death, 
or  else  Daniel  who  hath  lied  against  us." 


KING  BALTASSAR.— THE  GOD  BEL.  395 

They  were  not  afraid,  because  they  had  a  secret  door 
under  the  altar,  whereby  they  entered  and  consumed  the 
meats.  The  priests  having  gone  out,  the  king  caused  the 
meats  and  the  wine  to  be  placed  before  Bel.  This  being 
done,  the  servants  of  Daniel  brought  ashes,  and  he  sifted 
them 8  all  over  the  temple  in  the  presence  of  the  king.  Then 
they  all  left  the  temple,  the  door  of  which  was  sealed  with 
the  royal  seal. 

But  the  priests  went  in  by  night  with  their  wives  and 
children,  as  they  were  accustomed  to  do,  and  they  ate  and 
drank  all  that  had  been  placed  before  the  idol.  The  king 
arose  early  in  the  morning,  and  went  to  the  temple  with 
Daniel.  They  found  the  seal  unbroken,  and,  opening  the 
door,  went  in.  The  king  looked  at  the  table,  and,  seeing 
that  all  the  provisions  had  disappeared,  cried  out:  "Great 
art  thou,  0  Bel,  and  there  is  not  any  deceit  with  thee." 

Daniel  laughed9,  and  pointing  to  the  floor,  said:  "Mark, 
whose  footsteps  these  are ! "  The  king,  much  amazed,  said : 
"I  see  the  footsteps  of  men,  women  and  children."  Then, 
examining  more  closely,  he  found  the  secret  doors10,  by 
which  the  priests  were  wont  to  go  in  and  out.  Thereupon 
the  king,  being  enraged  against  the  priests  of  Bel,  ordered 
them  all  to  be  put  to  death.  And  he  gave  Bel  up  to  Daniel, 
who  destroyed  him  and  his  temple. 

8  The  ashes  were  sifted  so  fine  that  the  priests  of  Bel  could  not 
have  remarked  them.  —  9  and  held  back  the  king,  so  that  he  should 
not  enter  and  obliterate  the  footsteps.  —  ,0  under  the  altar. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Justice  and  Faithfulness  of  God.  Baltassar's  sudden 
death  was  m  punishment  of  the  wanton  sacrilege  which 
filled  up  the  measure  of  his  sins.  His  day  of  grace  was 
past,  and  God  summoned  him  before  His  judgment-seat. 
His  overthrow  fulfilled  Daniel's  prophecy  to  Nabuchodonozor 
(Chapt.  LXXVII),  namely  that  the  Assyrian  kingdom  would 
come  to  an  end,  and  that  another  kingdom  would  rise  up 
in  its  place. 

Sacrilege.  The  sacred  vessels  of  the  Temple  were  con- 
secrated to  God  and  might  be  used  by  the  priests  alone  for 


396  CHAPTER  LXXVIII. 

the  divine  worship.  Therefore,  Baltassar's  was  a  threefold 
sacrilege^  Firstly,  those  who  were  not  priests,  and  even 
women,  used  themr  Secondly,  they  were  used  for  the  purpose 
of  intoxication^  *  Thirdly,  in  drinking  from  them,  the  false 
gods  were  honoured  and  glorified. 

Intemperance  in  drink.  It  was  drunkenness  which  led  the 
king  to  commit  sacrilege.  Drunkenness  deprives  men,  either 
partially  or  entirely,  of  the  use  of  their  reason.  They  no 
longer  consider  what  they  say  or  do,  and  bad  passions  are 
awakened  in  their  hearts.  Such  are  the  consequences  of 
gluttony  or  intemperance,  which  is  one  of  the  seven  capital 
sins,  or  sins  which  are  the  source  of  other  sins.  Drunkenness 
debases  man  and  makes  him  like  the  lower  animals.  Our 
^Lord  Himself  thus  warns  us:  "Take  heed  to  yourselves,  lest 
perhaps  your  hearts  be  overcharged  with  surfeiting  and 
drunkenness  and  the  cares  of  this  life:  and  that  day  (of 
judgment)  come  upon  you  suddenly"  (Luke  21,  34). 

Our  days  are  numbered;  and  as  a  rule  their  end  comes  sooner 
than  we  expect.  Then  comes  the  judgment,  at  which  all  our  thoughts, 
words  and  actions  will  be  weighed  and  proved  according  to  their 
merit  before  God.  All  our  possessions  will  be  divided,  and  will  pass 
into  other  hands  after  our  death. 

Zeal  for  God's  Glory.  We  should  admire  Darnel's  zeal  for 
God's  honour  and  glory.  It  grieved  him  to  think  that  so 
many  millions  of  men  should  be  victims  to  the  folly  of 
idolatry,  and  be  ignorant  of  the  true  God.  Therefore  he  laboured 
to  convince  them  of  the  nothingness  of  idols,  and  to  convert 
them  to  a  belief  in  God.  He  knew  very  well  that  the 
obstinate  worshippers  of  false  gods,  and  especially  the  priests, 
would  hate  and  persecute  him ;  but  in  spite  of  this,  and  with 
great  skill,  he  showed  up  the  deception  of  the  priests  of  Bel, 
destroyed  his  image,  and  also  killed  a  dragon  which  was 
worshipped  as  a  god.  Daniel  was  a  valiant  servant  of  God, 
and  quite  ready  to  suffer  death  on  account  of  his  faith. 

III.  Application. 

If  God  punished  the  desecration  of  the  sacred  vessels  of 
the  Old  Law  so  severely,  how  much  more  heavily  will  he 
punish  any  want  of  reverence  towards  the  sacraments   and 


DANIEL  IN  THE  LION'S  DEN.  397 

holy  things  of  the  New  Law.  Have  you  ever  made  a  sacri- 
legious confession  ?  Resolve  to  pay  more  reverence  to  God's 
holy  Sacraments  than  you  have  hitherto  done,  and  make  a 
better  preparation  before  receiving  any  of  them. 

Chapter  -LXXIX. 

DANIEL  IN  THE  LION'S  DEN. 
I.   Narrative  and  Explanation. 

THE  people  of  Babylon  worshipped  also  a  great  dragon 1. 
One  day  the  king  said  to  Daniel:  "Behold,  thou  canst 
not  say  now  that  this  is  not  a  living  god ;  adore  him,  therefore." 
Daniel  replied:  "Give  me  leave,  0  king,  and  I  will  kill 
this  dragon  without  sword  or  club."  The  king  returned: 
"I  give  thee  leave."  Then  Daniel  took  pitch,  fat  and  hair, 
and  boiling  them  together,  he  made  lumps  and  put  them  into 
the  dragon's  mouth. 

The  monster,  swallowing  the  lumps,  very  soon  burst  asunder, 
and  Daniel  said  to  the  king:  "Behold  him  whom  you  wor- 
shipped!" The  Babylonians  hearing  this,  assembled  in  crowds, 
and  said  that  the  king  had  become  a  Jew,  had  destroyed  Bel, 
killed  the  dragon,  and  put  the  priests  to  death.  They  came, 
therefore,  to  the  king,  threatening  and  saying:  " Deliver y^ 
Daniel  to  us,  or  else  we  will  destroy  thee  and  thy  house." 
Although  the  king  loved  Daniel,  he  was  forced  through 
the  violence  of  the  people  to  give  him  up  to  their  fury2. 
Immediately  they  cast  him  into  a  den  of  lions  3.  There  were 
seven  lions  in  the  den,  to  whom  they  gave  two  carcasses 
every  day,  and  two  sheep;  but  now,  nothing  was  given 
them,  that  they  might  devour  Daniel 4.  Yet  Daniel  remained 
unhurt. 

1  A  great  serpent.  —  2  in  order  to  avert  the  outbreak  of  a  re- 
volution. —  3  which  was  underground  and  walled  in.  —  4  Forsaken  by 
men,  and  surrounded  by  ravening  beasts,  Daniel  remained  for  six  days 
in  constant  danger  of  death.  What  a  terrible  position  to  be  in!  But 
the  servant  of  God  prayed  fervently  and  confidently,  and  gave  himself 
over  entirely  to  the  divine  will. 

Daniel  having  been  for  some  time  in  the  lion's  den,  needed 
food.     Now   there   was   at  that  time   in   Judea   a   prophet 


398  CHAPTER  LXXIX, 

named  Habacuc,  who  carried  food  to  the  field  for  the  reapers. 

J  The  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  and   said:   "Carry 

thy  dinner  to  Daniel  who  is  in  the  lion's  den  at  Babylon." 

Habacuc  replied:    "Lord,  I  never  saw  Babylon,  nor   do  I 

know  the  den."     Then  the  angel  took  him  by  the  hair  of 

his  head, — carried  him  in  an  instant 5  to  Babylon,  and  placed 

him  over  the  den  of  lions.   And  Habacuc  called  to  Daniel: 

A"  Thou  servant  of  God,  take  the  dinner  that  God  has   sent 

sthee!"     Daniel  exclaimed:  "Thou  hast  remembered  me,  0 

God,  and  Thou  hast  not  forsaken  them  that  love   Thee." 

Then  he  arose  and  ate6. 

But  the  angel  of  the  Lord  carried  Habacuc  back  to  his 
own  place.  On  the  seventh  day  the  king  came  to  bewail 
Daniel7.  And  standing  near  the  den  he  looked  in  and  saw 
Daniel  sitting  amongst  the  lions,  and  he  cried  with  a  loud 
voice:  "Great  art  Thou,  0  Lord,  the  God  of  Daniel!" 

Immediately  he  drew  Daniel  out  of  the  den,  but  those 
who  had  desired  the  prophet's  death  he  threw  in,  and  they 
were  devoured  by  the  lions  in  a  moment.  Then  the  king 
*said:  "Let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  earth  fear  the 
God  of  Daniel,  for  He  is  the  Saviour,  working  signs  and 
wonders." 

5  As  swiftly  as  the  spirit  can  transfer  itself  from  one  place  to  another. 
You  can,  in  thought,  convey  yourself  in  an  instant  to  New  York.  — 
G  He  had  been  six  days  in  the  den,  and  was  very  hungry.  —  7  He 
took  for  granted  that  Daniel  had  been  devoured  by  the  lions. 

II.   Commentary. 

The  Goodness  of  God.  Not  only  did  the  Lord  God  protect 
His  faithful  servant  from  the  fury  of  the  hungry  lions,  but 
he  fed  him  during  his  captivity  in  the  den  in  the  most 
wonderful  way,  sending  him  food  by  Habacuc.  Full  of 
thankfulness,  Daniel  exclaimed:  "Thou  hast  remembered  me, 
0  God,  and  Thou  hast  not  forsaken  them  that  love  Thee." 

The  Omnipotence  of  God  worked  two  miracles  on  behalf 
of  Daniel.  It  was  miraculous  that  the  wild  beasts  should 
remain  ravenously  hungry  rather  than  devour  Daniel.  It 
was  also  miraculous  that  Habacuc  should  in  one  moment 
be  translated  from  Judea  to  Babylon,  and  back  again. 


DANIEL  IN  THE  LION'S  DEN.  399 

The  object  of  miracles.  God  worked  these  miracles,  firstly, 
in  orderHET protect  His  faithful  servant,  Daniel;  secondly, 
to  manifest  Himself  to  the  pagans,  and  especially  to  king 
Cyrus,  as  the  one,  true  and  Almighty  God  and  Lord,  and 
the  Saviour  working  signs  and  wonders  on  the  earth;  and 
thirdly,  so  as  to  move  the  king  to  send  the  people  of  God 
hack  to  their  own  country,  and  let  them  rebuild  the 
Temple. 

Grace  at  meals.  Before  Daniel  partook  of  the  food  miracu- 
lously *senTToTiim,  he  gratefully  remembered  the  goodness 
of  God,  Who  had  provided  him  with  it.  We  ought  always 
to  thank  God  for  the  food  which  we  receive.  We  say  before 
meals:  "Bless  us,  0  Lord,  and  these  Thy  gifts  which  we 
are  going  to  receive  of  Thy  bounty,"  and  after  our  meals 
we  thank  Him  for  having  fed  us,  unworthy  creatures,  and 
made  us  to  participate  in  His  gifts. 

The  power  of  pagan  superstition  and  the  wonderful  victory  of 
Christianity.  This  story  shows  us  how  deep  a  root  the  follies  of  idolatry 
had  taken  among  pagan  nations.  Although  Daniel  had  proved  the 
utter  powerlessness  of  their  idols,  and  although  God  had  manifested 
His  own  Omnipotence  by  the  most  wonderful  miracles,  they  would 
not  abandon  idolatry ;  and  even  the  king  could  not  save  Daniel  from 
their  fury.  If  we  consider  all  this  it  makes  us  realise  how  wonderful 
was  the  complete  triumph  of  Christianity  over  paganism.  It  is  a 
noble  work  both  for  God  and  our  neighbour,  to  support  Catholic 
missionaries,  who  preach  the  religion  of  the  cross  to  the  heathen  at 
the  peril  of  their  own  lives. 

III.  Application. 

Have  you  always  said  your  grace  devoutly?  Even  the 
beasts  without  reason  are  grateful  to  those  who  feed  them ; 
so  how  can  reasonable  men  not  be  grateful  to  their  Lord 
and  Creator,  Who  gives  them  life  and  health,  food  and  drink. 

We  were  all  created  for  the  glory  of  God.  What  have 
you  done  hitherto  for  His  glory?  Could  you  not  prevent 
many  sins  among  your  comrades  ?  Could  you  not  offer  your 
daily  labours  and  burdens  to  God.  Do  not  forget  to  frame 
your  intention  thus,  every  day:  "0  my  God,  I  will  do  every- 
thing for  Thy  glory." 


400  CHAPTER  LXXX. 

AFTER  THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY 

(from  536  B.  C.  until  the  Birth  of  Christ). 


Chapter  LXXX. 
RETURN  OF  THE  JEWS  FROM  BABYLON  (536  B.  C.). 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

THE  prophet  J^nijas,  had  foretold  that  the  captivity  of 
Babylon1  would  not  last  longer  than  seventy  years2, 
and  that  the  Jews  should  then  return  to  their  own  country. 
DanieJ  had  renewed  this  consoling  promise,  and  had  added 
another  prophecy  of  greater  importance;  namely,  that  from 
the  day  on  which  the  order  should  be  given  to  rebuild 
Jerusalem  till  the  death  of  the  Messias,  there  would  remain 
only  seventy  weeks  of  years;  that  is,  four  hundred  and 
ninety  years.  So  that  the  Jews  knew  not  only  the  family 
from  which  the  Saviour  would  spring,  but  also  the  city 
where  He  would  be  born,  and  the  year  in  which  He  would  die :*. 

The  severe  sufferings  of  the  captivity  of  Babylon,  together 
with  the  exhortations  of  the  prophets,  particularly  those  of 
Daniel  and  Ezechiel,  had  brought  the  Jewish  people  to  a 
sense  of  their  duty.  Wherefore  it  happened  that  in  the 
seventieth4  year  of  their  sad  captivity,  Cyrus,  king  of  Persia. 
by  a  divine  inspiration,  issued  an  edict  that  all  the  Jews 
who  were  in  his  kingdom  should  go  back 5  to  Jerusalem  and 
rebuild  the  Temple  of  the  Lord. 

He  also  restored  to  them  the  sacred  vessels  which  Nabu- 
chodonozor  had  carried  away G.  Thereupon  more  than  forty 
thousand  Israelites,  under  the  leadership  of  Prince  Zorobabel, 
and  of  the  High  Priest  Josue,  returned  to  Judea,  the  name 
thenceforward  given  to  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Juda,  together 
with  the  remnants  of  the  other  ten  tribes,  which  had  joined 
themselves  to  Juda  and  Benjamin  before  the  downfall  of 
Israel.  They  immediately  built  an  altar 7,  and  offered  sacrifice 
every  morning  and  evening. 

One  year  after  the  return  from  captivity,  the  foundations 
of  the  new  Temple  were  laid  in  Jerusalem.    The  priests  and 


UKTURN  OF  THE  JEWS  FROM  BABYLON.  401 

the  Levites  were  there  with  their  trumpets  and  cymbals,  as 
of  old,  singing  to  the  Lord  canticles  of  praise  and  thanks- 
giving, while  the  people  all  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great 
joy.  And  when,  after  many  years,  the  Temple  was  completed, 
it  was  consecrated  and  dedicated  with  great  solemnity. 

1  Which  took  place  606  B.  C.  —  2  "When",  said  the  Lord  by  the 
mouth  of  the  prophet  Jeremias,  "the  seventy  years  shall  be  ac- 
complished, I  will  bring  you  again  to  the  place,  for  I  think  towards 
you  thoughts  of  peace  and  not  of  affliction."  It  is  as  if  He  said: 
"Though  I  have  given  you  over  to  captivity,  I  have  no  intention  of 
giving  you  over  for  ever  to  affliction,  but  I  mean  to  lead  you  to 
repentance  by  suffering,  and  when  you  have  repented,  I  will  be  gracious 
to  you  again.''  —  3  The  walls  of  Jerusalem  were  built  up  453  B.  C. 
From  that  time  to  the  beginning  of  the  public  life  of  our  Lord  were 
sixty-nine  weeks,  or  483  years  —  i.  e.  453  years  to  the  time  of  His 
Birth,  to  which  are  added  the  thirty  years  of  His  hidden  life.  In 
the  middle  of  the  seventieth  "week  of  years"  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
died  upon  the  cross.  —  i  counting  from  the  first  carrying  off  of  the 
people  into  captivity,  to  the  year  536  (from  606 — 70  =  536).  — 
5  This  was  not  a  command,  only  a  permission.  —  6  Cyrus  gave  back 
5,400  vessels  of  gold  and  silver  which  had  belonged  to  the  Temple. 
—  7  on  the  same  spot  where  the   altar  of  holocausts  used  to  stand. 

Many  of  the  old  people  who  remembered  the  former  Temple, 
wept  to  see  that  the  new  one  did  not  equal  the  old  in 
magnificence. 

But  the  prophet  Aggeus  consoled  them  with  the  assurance 
that  the  second  Temple  should  be  more  glorious  than  the 
first,  because  the  Messias,  the  Desired  of  all  nations  8,  would 
be  seen  in  it,  and  would  honour  it  with  His  presence.  The 
same  prediction  was  made  by  the  prophet  Zachary 9. 

About  eighty  years  after  their  return  from  captivity,  the 
Jews,  by  command  of  the  king  of  Persia,  commenced  to 
rebuild  the  walls  of  Jerusalem10.  The  Samaritans  opposed 
them  and  tried  even  by  violence  to  prevent  the  people  from 
rebuilding  their  city.  But  the  Jews  prayed  to  God  to  assist 
them,  and  in  order  to  prevent  surprise  from  the  Samaritans, 
divided  themselves  into  two  great  bodies  n. 

Those  who  were  most  brave  and  courageous  they  placed  on 
the  outposts  of  the  city,  well  armed,  in  order  to  keep  off 
the  enemy,  while  those  who  were   skilled   in   masonry   and 


402  CHAPTER  LXXX. 

other  mechanical  arts,  carried  on  the  work.  At  the  end  of 
fifty-two  days  all  the  walls  and  ramparts  were  completed. 
The  Samaritans,  seeing  that  the  hand  of  God  was  there, 
ceased  to  trouble  their  neighbours. 

The  Jews,  understanding  that  they  had  been  successful 
in  rebuilding  the  Temple  and  walls  of  Jerusalem  in  spite  of 
so  many  obstacles,  returned  sincere  thanks  to  God.  And 
Esdras,  the  High  Priest,  having  publicly  read  the  law  of 
the  Lord,  they  all  promised,  with  tears,  to  be  faithful  to  it 12. 
For  they  had  received  a  new  and  strong  proof  that  God 
had  forgiven  their  own  sins,  and  the  ingratitude  of  their 
fathers. 

8  "Yet  one  little  while,"  said  Aggeus,  "and  the  Desired  of  all 
nations  shall  come  (the  Messias,  Whom,  as  Jacob  [Chapt.  XXVII] 
had  already  prophesied,  all  nations  should  expect.),  and  great  shall 
be  the  glory  of  this  house  more  than  of  the  first."  —  9  "Rejoice 
greatly,"  said  he,  "daughter  of  Jerusalem.  Behold,  thy  king  will 
come  to  thee,  the  Just,  the  Saviour.  He  is  poor,  and  riding  on  the 
foal  of  an  ass  ",  i.  e.  on  a  young  ass  never  yet  ridden,  not  on  a  proud 
horse  such  as  the  kings  of  this  earth  ride  on.  —  10  the  walls  of  the 
city,  and  fortifications.  —  n  At  first  the  Samaritans  wished  to  help 
with  the  building  of  the  Temple,  but  Josue  and  Zorobabel  rejected 
their  help,  fearing  that  the  Jews  who  believed  what  was  true,  might 
be  infected  by  their  heathen  practices.  Then  the  Samaritans  were 
offended,  and  tried  to  hinder  the  work  of  rebuilding;  but  so  long  as 
an  attack  from  them  was  to  be  feared,  Nehemias,  the  leader  of  the 
Jews,  commanded  that  a  portion  of  the  people  should  carry  arms 
while  working  at  the  building,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  repel  the  enemy. 
Nehemias  had  been  cup-bearer  to  Artaxerxes,  king  of  Persia,  and  he 
it  was  who  had  obtained  permission  to  build  up  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 
He  was  appointed  governor  of  Judea.  —  12  But  the  Jews  soon  got 
lax  in  their  observance  of  the  Law,  and  did  things  forbidden  by  it, 
such  as  marrying  with  gentiles,  neglecting  to  pay  tithes,  or  to  make 
offerings  to  the  Temple.  Moreover  they  offered  sacrifices  of  blind, 
lame,  or  blemished  beasts. 

II.  Commentary. 

God's  Mercy  to  the  people  of  Israel  was  very  great.  These 
faithless  people  had  broken  the  covenant  made  with  God, 
and  had  given  themselves  over  to  idolatry  and  a  pagan  way 
of  living.  God  sent  prophet  after  prophet  to  move  them  to 
repent,  but  the  prophets  were  despised  and  persecuted,  and 


RETURN  OF  THE  JEWS  FROM  BABYLON.  403 

Israel  remained  impenitent.  At  last  the  judgments  threatened 
by  God  overtook  His  people.  He  punished  them  by  letting 
them  be  carried  off  into  captivity,  but  He  punished  them 
only  for  the  purpose  of  converting  them.  When  the  Jews, 
full  of  mourning  and  sorrow,  left  their  home,  God  gave 
them  the  comforting  assurance:  "When  seventy  years  shall 
be  accomplished,  I  will  bring  you  again  to  this  place.  I  think 
towards  you  thoughts  of  peace  and  not  of  affliction."  And 
after  the  Jews  were  converted  to  Him,  and  had  renounced 
idolatry  for  good  and  all,  He  restored  everything  to  them, 
their  country,  their  temple,  their  worship,  and  their  hope 
in  the  coming  of  the  Messias.  The  whole  history  of  the 
people  of  Israel  is  one  continuous  proof  of  God's  infinite 
goodness  and  mercy,  one  long  chain  of  divine  favours  bestowed 
on  a  sinful  nation,  one  long  fight  between  divine  mercy,  and 
human  obduracy. 

The  Faithfulness  of  God  is  the  ground  of  all  our  hope. 
He  promised,  through  Jeremias,  that  His  people  should  return 
to  Jerusalem  after  a  captivity  of  seventy  years,  and  this 
promise  was  most  literally  fulfilled;  for  by  a  miracle  God 
inclined  the  heart  of  king  Cyrus  towards  the  Jews,  filling 
him  with  the  fear  of  God,  so  that  he  issued  an  edict  for 
the  return  of  the  Jews  and  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple. 
This  instance  of  the  faithful  fulfilment  of  God's  promises 
ought  to  give  us  a  great  confidence  that  He  will  perform 
everything  that  He  has  said. 

The  thirteenth  promise  of  the  Messias  (through  Aggeus) 
foretells  the  speedy  coming  of  the  Desired  of  all  nations, 
and  gives  the  assurance  that  on  account  of  His  Presence 
in  it,  the  new  Temple  would  be  made  more  glorious  than 
the  splendid  Temple  of  Solomon.  Jesus  Christ,  God  made 
Man,  was  presented  in  that  Temple  as  a  Child,  stayed  behind 
in  it  as  a  Boy  of  twelve  years ;  and,  as  a  Man,  He  prayed 
there,  taught  there,  and  worked  miracles  there. 

The  fourteenth  promise  of  the  Messias.  It,  might  have  been 
gathered  from  the  prophecy  of  Aggeus  about  the  glory  which 
the  Messias  would  shed  on  the  Temple,  that  He  would  come 
with  great  majesty  and  pomp ;  but  the  prophecy  of  Zachary 


A 


404  CHAPTER  LXXXI. 

made  it  plain  that,  though  the  long-desired  One  would  indeed 
be  a  king,  He  would  not  wield  an  earthly  power,  but  would 
enter  Jerusalem  in  poverty  and  simplicity  (New  Test.  LIX). 

Unity  is  strength.  The  number  of  Jews  who  at  first  returned  from 
Babylon  was  not  very  great,  but  they  held  faithfully  together,  and 
accomplished  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple  and  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 

III.  Application. 

Are  you  not  ungrateful  to  God,  and  very  often  lukewarm 
in  His  service,  and  negligent  in  prayer  and  in  the  receiving 
of  the  holy  Sacraments  ?  In  truth  you  owe  God  much  more 
gratitude  than  did  the  Jews! 

Chapter  LXXXI. 

ESTHER. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

S  the  government  of  the  kings  of  Persia  was  exceedingly 
mild,  many  of  the  Jews  remained  in  the  kingdom  of 
Babylon.  God  permitted  this  for  the  spiritual  good  of  the 
gentiles,  so  that  the  latter,  being  brought  into  daily  contact 
with  the  Jews,  might  more  easily  arrive  at  the  knowledge 
of  the  true  God,  and  be  instructed  in  the  promises  made 
concerning  a  Saviour  to  come. 

It  happened,  by  a  special  dispensation  of  God,  that  many 
of  the  Jews,  like  Daniel  and  his  companions  in  former 
years,  were  in  high  favour  with  the  kings  of  Persia  and 
made  use  of  their  influence  to  protect  their  country-men, 
and  to  propagate  the  true  faith.  At  a  certain  time  it  pleased 
divine  Providence  to  employ  in  this  way  a  pious  Jewess, 
named  Esther. 

She  lived  in  the  reign  of  Assuerus,  in  the  house  of  Mar- 
dochai,  her  uncle,  who  had  brought  her  up  from  her  infancy1. 
Assuerus,  having  seen  her,  was  pleased  with  her  beauty  and 
virtue,  placed  the  crown  upon  her  head,  and  made  her  his 
queen.  But  she,  by  Mardochai's  advice,  left  the  king  in 
ignorance  concerning  her  nation.  And  Mardochai 2  who  loved 
Esther  as  his  own  child,  came  every  day  and  sat  at  the 
gate  of  the  palace. 


ESTHER.      '  405 

Now  it  came  to  pass  that  two  officials  of  the  palace  had 
conspired  together  to  kill  the  king.  Mardochai,  having 
discovered  the  plot,  revealed  it  to  Esther,  who  immediately 
told  the  king.  The  affair  being  examined,  Mardochai 's  state- 
ment was  found  to  be  true.  The  two  conspirators  were 
hanged,  and  the  facts  recorded  in  the  annals  of  the  kingdom. 

Some  time  after,  Assuerus  raised  a  certain  Aman 3  to  the 
highest  dignity  in  the  empire.  All  the  king's  servants  bent 
the  knee  before  Aman  and  worshipped  him.  Mardochai  alone 
did  not  bend  the  knee  before  Aman,  as  he  would  not  give^ 
to  man  the  honour  due  to  God  alone4.  Aman,  perceiving 
this,  and  learning  that  Mardochai  was  a  Jew,  became  very 
angry.  To  be  revenged  on  Mardochai,  he  told  Assuerus 
that  the  Jews  were  planning  a  revolt,  and  prevailed  upon 
the  king  to  publish  an  edict  commanding  all  the  Jews  in 
his  empire  to  be  put  to  death5,  and  their  property  to  be 
taken  away. 

1  She  had  been  left  an  orphan  in  early  life,  and  her  uncle,  Mar- 
dochai, who  lived  at  Susa,  the  Persian  capital,  adopted  her  and  brought 
her  up.  On  account  of  her  beauty,  modesty  and  innocence,  Assuerus 
chose  her  to  be  his  queen,  out  of  all  the  maidens  presented  to  him 
for  choice.  Assuerus  is  known  in  profane  history  as  Xerxes  I.,  the 
celebrated  king  of  Persia,  who  reigned  from  485 — 465  B.  V/-^-  2  He 
held  an  office  about  the  court.  —  3  He  was  a  Mede,  and  was  raised 
by  the  king  to  the  post  of  Grand- Vizier,  which  was  the  highest  in[ 
the  kingdom  after  the  king's  own.  —  4  It  was  not,  therefore,  pride  ♦ 
which  made  him  refuse  to  bow  the  knee  before  Aman,  but  a  religious  " 
sense  of  duty,  which  forbade  him  to  render  divine  homage  to  any 
man.  —  6  The  edict  was  issued  in  April,  474,  that  on  a  certain  day 
in  March,  473,  every  Jew  was  to  be  massacred.  The  day  of  this 
general  massacre  was  decided  by  lot,  and  the  order  was  made  known 
by  messengers  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  kingdom. 
What  terror  must  have  seized  all  the  Jews !  It  is  written  in  the 
Book  of  Esther  (Chapt.  4) :  "  In  all  the  provinces,  towns  and  places 
to  which  the  king's  cruel  edict  was  come,  there  was  great  mourning 
among  the  Jews,  with  fasting,  wailing  and  weeping,  many  using 
sackcloth  and  ashes  for  their  bed."  They  tried  by  these  severe  penances 
to  avert  the  calamity. 

The  Jews  were  terrified  and  began  to  weep  and  lament. 
But  Mardochai  told  Esther  of  the  edict,  so  that  she  might 
intercede  with  the  king  for  her  own  people. 


406  CHAPTER  LXXXL 

Then  Esther  said:  "All  the  provinces  know  that  whosoever 

cometh  into  the  king's  inner  court,  who  is  not  called  for,  is 

immediately  put  to  death.     How   then   can  I   go   in  to  the 

king,  not  being  called?"    To  these  words  Mardochai  replied: 

^"  Who  knoweth  whether  thou  art  not  therefore  come  to  the 

kingdom  that  thou  mightest  be  ready   for  such   a   time   as 

/"this?"    Esther,  therefore,  praying  fervently,  and   abstaining 

J  from  food  and  drink  for  three  days,  resolved   to   go   in   to 

v|the  king,  not  being  called,  against  the  law,  and  to  expose 

I  herself  to  death  and  to  danger. 

k*  On  the  third  day  she  put  on  her  glorious  apparel  and 
wore  her  glittering  robes,  and  passed  through  the  door  with 
a  smiling  countenance  which  hid  a  mind  full  of  anguish,  and 
exceeding  great  fear.  But  when  the  king  had  lifted  up  his 
face,  and  with  burning  eyes  had  shown  the  wrath  of  his 
heart 6,  Esther  sank  down  and  rested  her  head  upon  her 
handmaid.  Then  the  king  was  seized  with  pity.  He  leaped 
from  his  throne,  and  upheld  her  in  his  arms  and  said: 
"What  is  the  matter,  Esther?  I  am  thy  brother,  fear  not! 
Thou  shalt  not  die,  for  this  law  is  not  made  for  thee,  but 
for  all  others.  What  wilt  thou,  queen  Esther?"  She,  re- 
covering herself,  answered:  "If  it  please  the  king,  I  beseech 
thee  to  come  to  me  this  day,  and  Aman  with  thee,  to  the 
banquet  which  I  have  prepared." 

The  king  acceded  to  her  wish ;  and  during  the  repast  he 
desired  to  know  her  request.  She  answered:  "If  it  please 
the  king  to  give  me  what  I  ask,  and  to  fulfil  my  petition, 
let  the  king  and  Aman  come  again  to  the  banquet  which  I 
have  prepared  them,  and  to-morrow  I  will  open  my  mind 
to  the  king."  The  king  promised  to  do  so,  and  Aman  left 
the  palace  with  a  joyful  heart7.  But  in  going  out  he  saw 
Mardochai  sitting  at  the  door  of  the  palace.  And  because 
Mardochai  would  not  bow  down  before  him  like  the  others, 
lie  was  filled  with  rage ;  and  going  home  to  his  house,  ordered 
a  gallows  fifty  cubits  high  to  be  erected  to  hang  Mardochai 
on  the  following  morning. 

6  Because  she  had  approached  the  throne  without  being  summoned. 
With  great  prudence  she  abstained  from  at  once  presenting  her  chief 


ESTHER. 


407 


petition,  and  only  invited  the  king  to  sup  with  her.  The  king  would 
probably  have  been  angry  when  he  discovered  that  she  had  concealed 
her  nationality  from  him.  —  7  For  it  was  an  extraordinary  honour 
for  him  to  be  invited  alone  to  supper  with  the  king. 

Now  it  happened  that  the  king  could  not  sleep  that  night, 
and  to  divert  his  mind  he  ordered  the  annals  of  his  reign 
to  be  read  to  him.  When  the  reader  came  to  the  place 
which  related  how  Mardochai  had  discovered  the  plot  against 
the  king's  life,  Assuerus  suddenly  asked  what  reward  Mar- 
dochai had  received  for  this  important  service.  He  was 
told  that  the  man  had   never  received   any  reward.     Then 

the  king  called  for 
Aman  whom  he 
asked  what  ought 
to  be  done  to 
honour  the  man 
whom  the  king 
desired  to  honour. 
Aman,  suppos- 
ing that  there 
was  question  of 
himself,  said  that 
the  man  whom 
the  king  desired 
to  honour,  ought 
to  be  clothed  with 
the  king's  appa- 
rel, and  be  set  upon  the  king's  horse,  and  have  the  royal 
crown  put  upon  his  head,  and  that  the  first  of  the  king's 
princes  and  nobles  should  hold  his  horse,  and,  going  through 
the  streets  of  the  city,  they  should  proclaim  before  him :  "Thus 
shall  he  be  honoured,  whom  the  king  hath  a  mind  to  honour!" 
Then  the  king  said  to  him:  "Make  haste  and  take  the 
robe  and  the  horse,  and  do,  as  thou  hast  spoken,  to  Mardochai, 
the  Jew,  who  sitteth  before  the  gate  of  the  palace8. 

8  This  was  a  great  humiliation  for  the  proud  man  who  had  hitherto 
been  the  king's  favourite.  He  had  reckoned  on  the  certainty  that  the 
king  would  give  him  permission  to  hang  Mardochai  on  the  gallows 
he  had  already  set  up ;  and  instead  of  this  he  was  now  forced  to  pay 


408  CHAPTER  LXXXI. 

the  utmost  honour  to  the  detested  Jew!  No  wonder  that  he  was  sad, 
and  forgot  all  about  the  invitation  to  supper!  The  king  knew  that 
Mardochai  was  a  Jew,  and  yet  ordered  this  honour  to  be  shown  him. 
He  had,  therefore,  either  forgotten  his  murderous  edict  against  the 
Jews ;  or  else  he  contemplated  only  a  partial  execution  of  the  order 
which  he  had  so  rashly  given.  Anyhow,  Aman  saw  that  his  own 
glory  was  coming  to  an  end. 

Aman  was  surprised  and  enraged  to  hear  these  words, 
but  he  dared  not  disobey  the  word  of  the  king.  He  went, 
therefore,  and  did  as  he  was  ordered.  Meanwhile  the  hour 
came  for  the  queen's  banquet,  and  Aman  went  thither  in 
all  haste. 

While  they  sat  at  the  table  the  king  said  again  to  the 
queen:  "What  is  thy  petition,  Esther,  that  it  may  be  granted 
thee  ?  Although  thou  ask  the  half  of  my  kingdom  thou  shalt 
have  it."  Esther  replied:  "If  I  have  found  favour  in  thy 
sight,  0  king,  give  me  my  life,  for  which  I  ask,  and  my 
people  for  which  I  request.  For  we  are  given  up,  I  and 
my  people,  to  be  destroyed,  to  be  slain,  and  to  perish."  9 

The  king,  in  surprise,  asked:  "Who  is  this,  and  of  what 
power  that  he  should  dare  to  do  these  things?"  Esther 
answered:  "It  is  Aman  that  is  our  most  wicked  enemy." 
But  Aman,  hearing  what  the  queen  said,  was  seized  with 
terror.  The  king  arose  from  the  table  in  great  wrath10. 
Being  told  by  one  of  the  attendants  that  Aman  had  prepared 
a  gibbet  fifty  cubits  high  whereon  to  hang  Mardochai,  he 
ordered  Aman  himself  to  be  hanged  upon  it. 

The  same  day  king  Assuerus  raised  Mardochai  to  the 
high  dignity  which  Aman  had  held,  and  the  edict  against 
the  Jews  was  immediately  revoked.  The  Jews  rejoiced  beyond 
measure  at  their  unexpected  deliverance,  and  many  of  the 
gentiles,  seeing  how  wonderfully  God  protected  them,  embraced 
their  religion  n.  Queen  Esther  is  a  striking  figure  of  Mary, 
the  immaculate  Queen  of  Heaven.  For  as  Esther  alone  was 
exempted  from  the  law  of  death,  so  Mary  alone  was  pre- 
served from  original  sin,  in  which  the  rest  of  mankind  are 
born  into  this  world.  Again,  Esther  saved  her  people  from 
slaughter,  and  Mary,  by  her  intercession,  saves  all  her  faithful 
clients  from  the  flames  of  hell. 


ESTHER.  409 

9  By  these  words  Esther  revealed  that  she  was  a  Jewess.  —  10  and 
walked  about  in  the  garden,  thinking  over  what  should  be  done  to 
Aman.  —  u  The  Jews  celebrated  a  great  feast  in  honour  of  their 
deliverance,  the  anniversary  of  which  has  been  kept  ever  since. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Goodness  and  Providence  of  God  extended  itself  not 
only  to  the  Jews  who  returned  to  Judea,  but  also  to  those 
who  remained  behind  in  the  pagan  country.  He  protected 
them,  and  rescued  them  completely  from  the  destruction 
planned  against  them  by  Aman.  Their  deliverance  really 
was  wonderful,  for  divine  Providence  so  adapted  circum- 
stances that  the  projected  plan  of  massacre  was  simply 
brought  to  nought.  By  God's  Providence  Esther  was  raised 
to  be  queen.  Again,  it  was  by  His  Providence  that  Mar- 
dochai  discovered  the  conspirators'  plot;  and  also  that  the 
annals  of  the  reign  were  read  to  the  king  that  night  when 
he  could  not  sleep,  the  name  of  Mardochai  being  thus 
recalled  to  him.  By  His  grace  God  changed  the  anger  of 
the  king  to  gentleness,  and  moved  him  to  grant  Esther's 
petition.  So  also  it  was  God  Who  turned  the  plans  of 
wicked  Aman  to  his  own  shame,  Who  saved  His  people 
from  destruction,  and  made  His  name  glorious  among  the 
gentiles. 

Pride  is,  firstly,  a  capital  sin  which  leads  to  many  other 
sins.  See  what  a  number  of  sins  Aman's  pride  led  him  to 
commit.  It  made  him  hate  Mardochai,  and  extend  his  hatred 
to  all  the  Jews.  He  calumniated  them  to  the  king,  and 
obtained  thereby  an  unjust  edict  for  their  massacre.  His 
blind  hatred  grew  to  such  an  extent  that  he  could  not  even 
wait  for  the  day  of  the  general  massacre  of  the  Jews,  but 
wished  to  have  Mardochai  hanged  at  once. 

Pride,  moreover,  makes  men  unhappy  and  discontented. 
Aman  possessed  riches,  power  and  honours,  and  was  held 
to  be  the  most  fortunate  of  men.  But  this  highly-favoured 
man  was  discontented,  and  thought  himself  ill-used,  because 
one  individual  Jew  refused  to  pay  him  the  homage  that  was 
paid  to  him  by  others.  His  injured  pride  embittered  his 
life,  and  gave  him  sleepless  nights. 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  18 


410  CHAPTER  LXXXI. 

Pride,  thirdly,  leads  to  humiliation  and  downfall.  In  Am  an 
were  fulfilled  the  words  of  Scripture:  "Pride  goeth  before 
destruction,  and  the  spirit  is  lifted  up  before  a  fall" 
(Prov.  16,  18).  His  pride  paved  the  way  to  his  utter  abase- 
ment. Imagining  that  he  himself  must  be  the  man  whom 
the  king  most  wanted  to  honour,  he  obtained  really  royal 
honours  for  his  enemy ;  and  had  to  pay  this  honour  himself 
to  the  hated  Mardochai,  and  proclaim  his  glory  to  the  whole 
city.  His  injured  pride  made  him  desire  the  destruction  of 
the  Jews;  but  this  blood-thirsty  project  it  was  which  led 
to  his  own  fall  and  ignominious  death. 

The  four  cardinal  virtues.  This  story  affords  a  shining 
example  of  each  of  these  virtues. 

1.  Prudence.  Mardochai,  Esther  and  all  the  Jews  acted 
very  prudently,  because  in  their  hour  of  need  and  peril  they 
had  recourse  to  prayer  and  fasting.  They  were  convinced 
that  these  good  works  were  pleasing  to  God,  and  that  they 
would  thereby  obtain  help  and  deliverance  at  the  hands  of 
the  Almighty.  They  also  used  every  human  means  of  help 
which  prudence  suggested. 

2.  Justice.  The  king  fulfilled  a  duty  imposed  by  justice 
when  he  rewarded  Mardochai  who  had  saved  his  life,  and 
punished  Aman  who  had  induced  him  to  issue  a  cruel  and 
murderous  edict.  It  was  also  an  act  of  justice  on  his  part, 
when,  having  assured  himself  of  the  innocence  of  the  Jews, 
he  recalled  and  annulled  the  edict. 

3.  Temperance.  Assuerus  practised  this  virtue  when, 
obedient  to  divine  grace,  he  subdued  his  rising  anger  against 
Esther  and  listened  favourably  to  her  petition.  But  Aman, 
on  the  other  hand,  sinned  against  this  virtue,  when  he  let 
himself  be  carried  away  by  his  anger  against  Mardochai, 
and  conceived  the  atrocious  project  of  having  every  Jew  in 
the  kingdom  massacred. 

4.  Fortitude.  Esther,  though  raised  to  be  queen,  remained 
humble,  pious,  and  full  of  confidence  in  God.  This  made 
her  valiantly  risk  her  life  in  order  to  save  her  people.  She 
knew  that  the  passionate  king  would  be  in  a  violent  rage 
when  she  appeared,  unsummoned,  in  his   presence,  but   she 


TRANSLATION  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  INTO  GREEK.    411 

prayed,  and  hoped  that  God  would  soften  the  king's  heart; 
nor  was  her  trust  misplaced.  Confidence  in  God  gives 
fortitude. 

Esther  is  a  type  of  the  ever  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  Esther, 
on  account  of  her  beauty,  was  raised  from  her  low  estate 
to  be  queen:  Mary,  on  account  of  the  beauty  of  her  pure 
and  humble  heart,  was  raised  to  be  the  Mother  of  the 
Redeemer,  and,  afterwards,  Queen  of  Heaven.  Esther  alone 
was  exempted  from  the  king's  severe  law:  Mary  alone  is 
exempted  from  the  curse  of  original  sin.  Esther,  adorned 
in  splendid  garments,  went  before  the  king,  prayed  for  her 
people,  and  was  heard :  Mary,  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  radiant 
with  virtues  and  merits,  went  before  the  throne  of  God, 
offering  her  powerful  prayers  for  her  people. 

Concealing  sin.  Was  it  right  of  Mardochai  to  reveal  the  conspiracy 
against  the  king's  life  which  he  had  discovered?  He  was  douhly 
bonnd  to  do  so,  both  as  a  servant  of  God  and  as  a  servant  of  the 
king.  To  conceal  the  sin  of  others,  when  you  can  prevent  it  by 
revealing  it,  is  one  of  the  nine  ways  of  sharing  in  the  guilt  of  others. 

III.  Application. 

Are  you  easily  moved  to  anger?  Have  you  in  anger 
insulted,  struck,  or  wished  ill  to  others?  Just  observe  the 
words  and  actions  of  an  angry  man,  and  you  will  see  what 
a  hateful  passion  anger  is.  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  be  ever 
carried  away  by  it,  but  suppress  its  very  first  movements. 
If  the  angry  impulse  comes,  be  silent,  and  say  within 
yourself:  0  gentle  Jesus,  have  mercy  on  me  and  help  me 
to  overcome  anger. 

Chapter  LXXXII. 

TRANSLATION    OF    THE    OLD    TESTAMENT    INTO 

GREEK  (285  B.  C.).— WISE  SAYINGS  OF  JESUS, 

THE  SON  OF  SIRACH. 

L  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

ri^HE  Jews,  who  had  returned  to   their  country,  lived  in 
A    peace   for  two   hundred  years   under  the   dominion   of 

the  successors  of  Cyrus.    This  peace  was  not  disturbed  even 

\  18* 


412  CHAPTER  LXXXII. 

when  Alexander  the  Great,  king  of  Macedon,  destroyed  the 
Persian  empire.  Whilst  Alexander  lived,  he  treated  the 
Jews  with  great  kindness ;  but  when,  at  his  death,  the  Mace- 
donian empire  was  divided,  evil  times  came  upon  Judea. 

That  province  formed  the  object  of  dispute  between  the 
kings  of  Syria  and  those  of  Egypt,  who  made  it  the  battle- 
ground for  their  contending  armies,  so  that  it  was  turned 
almost  into  a  desert.  As  a  natural  consequence  of  these 
protracted  wars,  ignorance,  corruption  and  vice  struck  daily 
deeper  root  among  the  Jewish  people.  This  was  one  of  the 
darkest  periods  of  their  history1. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  king  of  Egypt  wished 
to  have  a  Greek  translation  of  the  sacred  books  of  the 
Jews 2.  He  therefore  expressed  his  desire  to  the  High  Priest 
at  Jerusalem,  who  granted  the  request  and  sent  to  Alexandria, 
the  capital  of  Egypt,  seventy-two  wise  men  well  versed  both 
in  Greek  and  in  Hebrew.  These  men  were  kindly  received 
by  the  king,  and  made  a  correct  translation  for  him.  At 
that  time  educated  men  among  the  heathen  nations  knew  and 
spoke  the  Greek  language.  Hence  this  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  began  to  be  read  by  the  pagans,  who  thereby  came 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  to  the  belief  in  the 
Messias.  Thus  do  we  see  the  hand  of  divine  Providence,  in  His 
design  to  prepare  the  gentiles  for  the  coming  of  the  Saviour. 

Almighty  God  also  inspired  a  pious  Jew,  called  Jesus,  the 
son  of  Sirach  3,  to  write  a  work  on  religious  and  moral  in- 
struction, which  forms  one  of  the  books  of  the  Catholic  Bible, 
and  is  called  Ecclesiasticus.  The  following  beautiful  maxims 
taken  from  it  deserve  careful  study.  "  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is 
the  beginning  and  a  crown  of  wisdom.  The  word  of  God  is  the 
fountain  of  wisdom,  and  her  ways  are  everlasting  command- 
ments. The  fear  of  the  Lord  shall  delight  the  heart,  and  shall 
give  joy,  and  gladness,  and  length  of  days.  It  shall  go  well 
with  him  that  feareth  the  Lord,  and  in  the  days  of  his  end 
he  shall  be  blessed.  My  son,  from  thy  youth  up  receive  in- 
struction, and  even  to  thy  gray  hairs  thou  shalt  find  wisdom. 

"Come  to  her  as  one  that  plougheth  and  soweth,  and 
wait  for  her  good  fruits.     For  in   working   about  her  thou 


TRANSLATION  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  INTO  GREEK.     413 

shalt  labour  a  little,  and  shalt  quickly  eat  of  her  fruits. 
Take  all  that  shall  be  brought  upon  thee,  and  keep  patience, 
for  gold  and  silver  are  tried  in  the  fire,  but  acceptable  men 
in  the  furnace  of  humiliation.  Hear  the  judgment  of  your 
father  and  grieve  him  not  in  his  life.  The  father's  blessing 
establisheth  the  houses  of  the  children,  but  the  mother's 
curse  rooteth  up  the  foundation. 

"Despise  not  a  man  in  his  old  age,  for  we  also  shall 
become  old.  Despise  not  the  discourse  of  them  that  are 
ancient  and  wise ;  but  acquaint  thyself  with  their  proverbs. 
Praise  not  a  man  for  his  beauty,  neither  despise  a  man  for 
his  look.  The  bee  is  small  among  flying  things,  but  her 
fruit  hath  the  chiefest  sweetness.  Be  in  peace  with  many, 
but  let  one  of  a  thousand  be  thy  counsellor. 

"Nothing  can  be  compared  to  a  faithful  friend,  and  no 
weight  of  gold  and  silver  is  able  to  countervail  the  goodness 
of  his  fidelity.  If  thou  wouldst  get  a  friend,  try  him  before 
thou  takest  him,  and  do  not  credit  him  easily.  For  there 
is  a  friend  for  his  own  occasion,  and  he  will  not  abide  in 
the  day  of  thy  trouble.  A  lie  is  a  foul  blot  in  a  man.  In 
nowise  speak  against  the  truth,  but  be  ashamed  of  the  lie 
in  thy  ignorance. 

"Let  not  the  naming  of  God  be  usual  in  thy  mouth,  and 
meddle  not  with  the  names  of  saints.  A  man  that  sweareth 
much  shall  be  filled  with  iniquity,  and  a  scourge  shall  not 
depart  from  his  house.  Before  thou  hear,  answer  not  a 
word,  and  interrupt  not  others  in  the  midst  of  their  discourse. 
Hast  thou  heard  a  word  against  thy  neighbour,  let  it  die 
within  thee,  trusting  that  it  will  not  burst  thee.  Hedge  in 
thy  ears  with  thorns ;  hear  not  a  wicked  tongue ;  and  make 
doors  and  bars  to  thy  mouth. 

"Melt  down  thy  gold  and  silver,  and  make  a  balance  for 
thy  words.  Flee  from  sin  as  from  the  face  of  a  serpent. 
All  iniquity  is  like  a  two-edged  sword ;  there  is  no  remedy 
for  the  wound  thereof.  Observe  the  time  and  fly  from  evil. 
He  that  loveth  danger  shall  perish  therein,  and  he  that 
toucheth  pitch  shall  be  defiled  with  it.  In  every  work  of 
thine  regard  thy  soul  in  faith,  for  this  is  the  keeping  of  the 


414  CHAPTER  LXXXII. 

commandments.  In  all  thy  works  remember  thy  last  end, 
and  thou  shalt  never  sin." 

1  After  about  400  B.  C.  God  sent  no  more  prophets  to  His  people. 
The  last  of  the  prophets,  Malachias,  was  raised  up  to  upbraid  the 
people  for  their  falling  away  from  the  correct  observance  of  the  Law. 
Regarding  the  priests  we  read:  "I  have  no  pleasure  in  you,  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts :  and  I  Avill  not  receive  a  gift  of  your  hand.  For  from  the 
rising  of  the  sun  even  to  the  going  down,  my  name  is  great  among 
the  gentiles,  and  in  every  place  there  is  sacrifice,  and  there  is  offered 
to  My  name  a  clean  oblation."  —  2  The  Holy  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
Testament  consist  of  twenty-one  historical  books,  seven  moral  books, 
and  seventeen  prophetical  books.  The  historical  books  are :  the  five 
Books  of  Moses,  the  Book  of  Josue,  the  Judges,  Ruth,  the  four  Books 
of  Kings,  two  Paralipomena,  two  of  Esdras,  Tobias,  Judith,  and  two 
of  Machabees.  The  doctrinal  books  are :  Job,  the  Psalms,  Proverbs, 
the  Preacher,  the  Song  of  Solomon,  Wisdom  and  Ecclesiasticus.  The 
prophetical  books  are :  Isaias,  Jeremias,  with  the  Lamentations,  Ezechiel, 
Daniel,  Osee,  Joel,  Amos,  Abdias,  Jonas,  Baruch,  Micheas,  Nahum, 
Habacuc,  Sophonias,  Aggeus,  Zacharias,  and  Malachias.  —  3  This  book 
contains  maxims,  sayings  and  lessons  on,  and  praises  of  the  great 
men  of  Israel.     It  was  written  about  180  B.  C. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  fifteenth  promise  of  the  Messias  (through  Malachias) 
is  of  great  importance  for  the  Catholic  faith,  since,  as  the 
Council  of  Trent,  in  union  with  the  Fathers  of  the  Church, 
teaches,  it  contains  a  most  clear  prophecy  of  the  unbloody 
Sacrifice  of  the  New  Testament,  or,  in  other  words,  of  the 
most  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  Let  us  examine  what  it 
is  that  God  promised  by  the  mouth  of  the  prophet  Malachias. 

By  the  words  "From  the  rising  of  the  sun — for  my  name 
is  great  among  the  gentiles"  God  announced  that  many 
nations  instead  of  only  one  would  worship  Him.  Then  He 
further  foretold :  a)  that  a  sacrifice  would  be  offered  to  Him, 
not  in  one  place  only  as  with  the  Jews,  but  in  all  places; 

b)  that  this  sacrifice  would  be  a  clean  oblation  or  offering, 

c)  and  a  meat-offering  or,  in  other  words,  an  unbloody 
sacrifice ;  d)  and  that  it  would  be  a  perfect  sacrifice,  and  take 
the  place  of  the  Jewish  sacrifices.  Now,  in  what  way  does 
the  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  correspond  with  and  fulfil 
this   prophecy?     a)    The   holy   Sacrifice    of  the   Mass   was 


THE  MARTYRDOM  OF  ELEAZAR.  415 

instituted  at  the  Last  Supper,  and  is  offered  up  in  every 
Catholic  church  all  over  the  world,  b)  It  is  a  clean  oblation, 
nay,  the  most  clean,  the  most  holy  oblation  that  can  be,  for 
in  it  is  offered  up  Jesus  Christ,  the  All-holy  Son  of  God. 
c)  It  is  an  unbloody  Sacrifice,  and  at  the  same  time  it  is 
a  meat-offering,  for  in  it  Jesus  Christ  offers  Himself  in  an 
unbloody  manner  in  the  holy  Mass,  under  the  form  of  bread 
and  wine,  and  gives  Himself  in  Holy  Communion  to  be  the 
Food  of  both  priest  and  people,  d)  It  replaces  the  sacrifices 
of  the  Old  Testament,  which  were  only  types  of  this,  the 
spotless  Sacrifice  of  the  New  Testament,  and  which  are 
fulfilled  by  it. 

III.  Application. 

Thank  God  in  an  especial  manner  for  the  most  holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  and  resolve  that  you  will  assist  at 
it  frequently  and  with  devotion. 

Chapter  LXXXIII. 
THE  MARTYRDOM  OF  ELEAZAR  (168  B.  C). 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

THE  most  terrible  trial  which  the  Jews  had  to  undergo, 
was  that  which  came  upon  them  at  the  time  when  they 
were  made  subject  to  the  proud  and  cruel  Antiochus,  king 
of  Syria  *.  The  king  ordered  the  Holy  Books  to  be  torn  and 
burnt;  he  profaned  the  Temple,  and  forbade  the  observance 
of  the  divine  laws  under  the  penalty  of  death. 

Unhappily,  many  of  the  Jews,  yielding  to  a  guilty  fear, 
obeyed  the  king's  order ;  but  many  more  refused  to  comply 
with  the  impious  mandate,  and  chose  to  die  rather  than 
violate  the  holy  precept  of  God.  Among  these  was  an  old 
man  named  Eleazar,  ninety-nine  years  of  age,  who  was 
renowned  as  a  doctor  of  the  law. 

1  The  Jews  lived  under  the  Persian  supremacy  in  peace  and  quiet. 
This  lasted  till  329  B.  C.  In  that  year,  Alexander  the  Great,  who  had 
conquered  the  Persian  empire,  took  possession  of  Judea  and  Jerusalem ; 
but  he  was  favourable  to  the  Jews  and  allowed  them  to  practise  their 
religion,   for   which    he    had  a  great   respect.    When  Alexander   died 


416  CHAPTER  LXXXIII. 

(323  B.  C),  his  four  principal  generals  divided  his  vast  empire;  and 
the  Jews  lived  for  a  hundred  years  under  the  Egyptian  rule  uhioh 
was  in  no  way  oppressive.  But  in  the  year  200  Judea  fell  under 
the  dominion  of  the  kings  of  Syria.  The  worst  of  these  kings  was 
Antiochus  IV.,  of  whom  we  read  in  this  story.  He  fell  on  Jerusalem 
with  a  large  army  in  the  year  169,  killed  40,000  inhabitants,  and 
plundered  the  Temple.  He  proclaimed  Greek  paganism  to  be  the 
religion  of  the  state,  and,  in  167  B.  C,  having  in  all  sorts  of  ways 
desecrated  the  Temple,  he  set  up  in  it  the  image  of  the  Greek  god 
Zeus  (Jupiter).  All  the  Jews  were  forbidden  under  pain  of  death  to 
practise  any  religion  but  that  of  the  state.  They  did  not  dare  to 
circumcise  their  male  children,  or  observe  their  sabbaths  and  festivals, 
or  offer  sacrifice  to  the  true  God. 

When  Eleazar  refused  to  eat  swine's  flesh,  the  use  of 
which  was  forbidden  by  the  law  of  Moses,  they  opened  his 
mouth  by  force  to  compel  him  to  eat.  But  he  still  refused, 
and  declared  that  he  would  undergo  any  torment  that  might 
be  inflicted  on  him,  rather  than  stain  his  soul  with  sin  by 
a  violation  of  the  commandment  of  God2.  Then  some  of 
those  who  stood  by,  pitying  the  good  old  man,  advised 
him.  to  eat  of  other  meat  which  was  not  forbidden,  so  as 
to  feign  compliance  with  the  king's  command. 

Eleazar  replied:  "It  does  not  become  our  age  to  dis- 
semble." He  then  explained  to  these  false  friends  that  even 
if  he  made  a  mere  show  of  complying  with  the  king's  orders 
in  this  matter,  the  young  men  of  his  nation  might  be  tempted 
to  follow  his  example,  saying:  "The  aged  Eleazar  has  be- 
come a  pagan,  why  may  not  we  do  the  same?"  Moreover, 
he  exclaimed:  "Though  for  the  present  time  I  should 
be  delivered  from  the  punishment  of  men,  yet  should  I 
not  escape  the  hand  of  the  Almighty,  neither  alive  nor 
dead."3 

Having  thus  spoken,  the  holy  old  man  was  dragged  to 
the  place  of  execution,  where  he  suffered  a  glorious  death 4. 
In  the  midst  of  his  torments  he  cried  out:  "Lord,  Thou 
knowest  I  suffer  grievous  pains,  but  I  am  well  content  to 
suffer  these  things,  because  I  fear  Thee."  Eleazar,  by  his 
steadfast  adherence  to  the  law  of  God,  and  the  fortitude 
wherewith  he  suffered  a  most  cruel  martyrdom,  has  left  a 
noble  example  of  fidelity  and  heroic  virtue. 


THE  MARTYRDOM  OF  ELEAZAR.  417 

2  He  was  stretched  upon  a  rack  and  unmercifully  scourged.  — 
3  But  why  did  Eleazar  refuse  to  eat  meat  which  it  was  allowed  to 
him  to  eat?  Firstly,  because  he  would  have  thereby  dissembled  and 
acted  as  if  he  had  apostatised  from  the  true  faith.  Secondly,  because 
by  this  seeming  apostasy  he  would  have  given  a  bad  example,  and 
scandal  to  the  Jewish  young  men.  Thirdly,  he  would  have  deserved 
punishment  at  God's  hands.  —  4  by  being  scourged  till  he  gave  up 
his  spirit. 

II.  Commentary. 

Firm  faith.  Eleazar  was  strong  and  steadfast  in  faith, 
preferring  to  die  under  torture  rather  than  deny  his  faith 
by  eating  the  forbidden  meat. 

The  fear  of  God.  The  fortitude  with  which  Eleazar 
endured  his  torture,  proceeded  from  the  holy  fear  of  God, 
to  whom  he  said  in  presence  of  the  bystanders:  "I  am  well 
content  to  suffer,  because  I  fear  Thee";  being  persuaded 
within  himself:  "If  I  escape  from  this  torture  by  a  miserable 
hypocrisy,  I  could  not  escape  the  punishment  of  God."  It 
is  thus  we  ought  to  reason  when  tempted  either  to  do 
what  is  wrong,  or  to  neglect  what  is  right.  Our  Lord 
has  spoken  these  warning  words:  "Fear  not  them  that 
kill  the  body,  and  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul :  but 
rather  fear  Him  that  can  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in 
hell"  (Mat.  10,  28). 

Bad  example.  Eleazar  wished  to  avoid  even  the  appearance 
of  sin,  and  therefore  refused  to  adopt  the  suggestion  made 
to  him  of  secretly  eating  meat  which  was  allowed,  though 
he  seemed  to  be  eating  swine's  flesh.  Every  one  would 
have  thought  that  he  had  eaten  forbidden  meat,  and  as  he 
himself  said  he  would  thus  have  given  a  bad  example  to 
all  the  Jews,  and  especially  to  the  young.  This  act  would 
also  have  drawn  others  into  transgressing  the  law  and 
denying  their  faith.  Those  who  are  the  occasion  of  sin 
in  other  persons  give  scandal,  and  sin  against  the  Fifth 
Commandment. 

Counselling  sin.  Did  those  who  advised  Eleazar  to  act  as 
if  he  had  eaten  the  forbidden  meat  commit  sin?  Yes,  for 
though  it  is  true  that  they  felt   full   of  compassion  for  the 

18* 


418  CHAPTER  LXXXtV. 

poor,  weak,  aged  man,  they  felt  no  compassion  for  his  soul ; 
and  it  was,  after  all,  a  very  erroneous  sort  of  compassion 
which  made  them  counsel  him  to  commit  a  sin. 

The  shameful  faithlessness  of  many  Christians.  Our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  had  not  died  for  Eleazar.  He  had  not  received  the  teaching 
and  graces  of  Christianity,  nor  was  heaven  open  to  him ;  and  yet 
he  gave  a  splendid  example  of  fortitude!  How  much  more  shameful 
would  it  be  for  Christians  to  deny  their  faith,  having,  in  very  truth, 
before  them  the  example  of  our  Lord,  of  the  holy  apostles,  and  of 
the  13,000,000  martyrs  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  receiving,  as  they 
do,  so  many  graces  from  God! 

III.  Application. 

Are  you  ready  to  suffer  a  painful  death  rather  than  deny 
the  holy  Catholic  faith,  or  commit  any  other  grievous  sin? 
Do  you  pray  for  the  gift  of  fortitude?    • 

If  a  Catholic  eats  meat  on  Friday,  he  acts  as  if  he  wore 
not  a  Catholic,  and  refuses  obedience  to  the  Church  of  God. 
Do  you  always  observe  the  days  of  abstinence? 

Chapter  LXXXIV. 
THE  MARTYRDOM  OF  THE  SEVEN  MACHABEES. 

I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

ANTIOCHUS1  commanded  that  a  certain  widow,  with 
her  seven  sons2,  should  be  brought  into  his  presence, 
and  should  be  forced  to  eat  of  the  forbidden  flesh.  They  all 
told  him  that,  as  their  law  did  not  allow  them  the  use  of 
such  meat,  they  could  not  obey  his  command.  He  immediately 
had  them  scourged  with  whips. 

The  eldest  of  the  brothers  told  the  king  that  they  were 
ready  to  die  rather  than  transgress  the  law  of  their  God. 
Then  the  king,  enraged  at  the  young  man's  boldness,  ordered 
his  tongue  to  be  plucked  out,  the  skin  of  his  head  to  be 
torn  from  it,  his  hands  and  feet  to  be  cut  off,  and  finally  that 
he  should  be  burnt  alive  before  his  mother  and  brothers. 
While  he  was  suffering  these  cruel  torments3,  his  mother 
and  his  brothers  exhorted  him  to  die  courageously. 


THE  MARTYRDOM  OF  THE  SEVEN  MACHABEES.  419 

1  See  preceding  chapter.  —  2  These  brothers  are  called  the  seven 
Machabees,  because  their  heroic  sufferings  are  related  in  the  second 
Book  of  Machabees.  It  is  generally  believed  that  the  seven  brothers 
and  their  mother  were  martyred  in  the  year  166  at  Antiochia,  the 
city  where  the  king  resided,  situated  not  far  from  the  sea,  to  the 
north-east  of  the  island  of  Cyprus.  —  3  According  to  2  Mach.  7,  5, 
his  martyrdom  lasted  a  long  time.  Picture  to  yourself  the  horrors  of 
this  prolonged  torture.  The  king  hoped  that  the  cruel  torments  of  the 
eldest  brother  would  frighten  the  younger  ones  into  submission;  but 
instead  of  this,  they  encouraged  each  other  to  follow  his  example. 

The  first  brother  being  dead,  they  seized  the  second,  and, 
having  torn  the  skin  from  off  kis  head,  they  asked  him  if 
he  would  eat  rather  than  undergo  the  rest  of  the  torments. 
But  he,  refusing  no  less  firmly  and  courageously  than  his 
elder  brother,  was  tortured  in  the  same  way  till  he  expired. 
When  he  was  about  to  die  he  exclaimed:  "Thou,  0  most 
wicked  man,  destroyest  us  out  of  this  present  life,  but  the 
King  of  the  world 4  will  raise  us  up  who  die  for  His  laws, 
in  the  resurrection  of  eternal  life." 

The  third  brother  offered  his  hands  and  feet  to  be  cut 
off,  saying:  "These  I  have  from  heaven,  but,  for  the  law 
of  God,  I  now  despise  them,  because  I  hope  to  receive  them 
again  from  Him."  Some  minutes  before  his  death  he  declared 
aloud  his  willingness  to  die  for  God,  as  his  brothers  had 
already  done.  When  he  was  dead,  the  fourth  brother,  the 
fifth,  and  the  sixth — were  all  three  subjected  to  the  same 
torments  as  their  elder  brothers,  but  each  one  died  in  the 
same  manner,  having  the  same  spirit.  They  made  no  account 
of  pain  and  death,  because  they  suffered  all  for  God. 

4  The  Jews  shrank  from  uttering  aloud  the  name  of  God;  so, 
instead,  they  used  some  other  term,  such  as  "heaven"  or  the  "King 
of  the  world". 

The  king  and  his  courtiers  were  amazed  at  the  constancy 
of  these  young  men,  so  that  when  the  seventh,  a  mere 
youth,  was  brought  forward,  the  king  told  him,  with  an 
oath,  that  he  would  make  him  rich  and  happy  if  he  would 
obey  his  command 5.  Seeing  that  his  words  had  no  effect 
on  the  courageous  boy,  Antiochus  called  on  the  mother  to 
advise  her  son  for  his  own  good. 


420 


CHAPTER  LXXXIV. 


The  mother  agreed  to  do  so.  Then,  addressing  her  son6, 
she  said  with  all  a  mother's  tender  affection:  "My  son, 
look  upon  heaven  ancl  earth,  and  all  that  is  in  them;  and 
consider  that  God  made  them  out  of  nothing,  and  mankind 
also ;  so  thou  shalt  not  fear  this  tormentor,  but,  being  made 
a  worthy  partner  with  thy  brethren7,  receive  death,  that 
in  that  mercy  I  may  receive  thee  again  with  thy  brethren."  8 

While  she  was  yet  speaking,  the  boy  said:  "For  whom 
do  you  stay  ?  I  will  not  obey  the  commandment  of  the  king, 
but  the  commandment  of  the  law  which  was  given  us  by 
Moses."  Then,  turning  to  the  king9:  "Thou,"  said  he,  "thou 
that  hast  been  the  author  of  all  mischief  against  the  Hebrews, 
shalt  not  escape  the  hand  of  God."  But  the  king,  inflamed 
with  rage,  tortured  him  most  cruelly  till  he  yielded  up  his 
soul.    Last  of  all  the  mother  herself  was  put  to  death. 

5  The  king  thought  that  by  fair  promises  he  would  be  able  to 
induce  the  boy,  as  he  was  young  and  weak,  to  apostatise.  —  c  She 
spoke  to  him  in  her  native  Jewish  tongue.  She  purposely  made  use 
of  a  language  which  the  king  could  not  understand,  for,  had  he  taken 
in  what   she  was  saying,  he   would  have  at  once  torn  the  boy  from 


THE  MARTYRDOM  OF  THE  SEVEN  MACHABEES.         421 

her,  and  she  would  not  have  been  able  to  speak  any  more  to  him. 
—  7  "Prove  that  you  have  as  much  fortitude  and  as  great  a  fear 
of  God  as  had  your  brothers  t"  —  8  "  For  if  you  turn  from  your  faith 
you  will  not  attain  to  eternal  life."  —  9  "  We  suffer  thus  for  our 
sins,''  he  also  said,  "and  though  the  Lord  our  God  is  angry  with 
us  a  little  while,  yet  He  will  be  reconciled  again  to  His  servants" 
(2  Mach.  7,  32.  33).  He  was  not  alluding  to  their  own  particular  sins, 
but  to  the  sins  of  the  Jews  in  general,  on  account  of  which  God 
had  subjected  them  to  this  long  persecution.  The  brothers  looked 
on  their  death  as  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  people,  and  hoped 
that  it  would  turn  God's  anger  from  the  Jews,  and  that  He  would 
be  gracious  to  them,  and  put  an  end  to  this  persecution. 

II.   Commentary. 

Fortitude.  It  is  impossible  to  extol  and  admire  sufficiently 
the  unshaken  fortitude  of  the  seven  brothers.  It  was  com- 
paratively easy  for  the  aged  Eleazar  to  give  up  his  life, 
for  under  no  circumstances  could  he  have  had  much  longer 
to  live,  and  the  world  could  not  offer  him  much  worth  having. 
But  the  Machabee  brothers  were  young,  they  could  look 
forward  to  many  years  of  life,  and  the  world  offered  them 
many  pleasures  and  enjoyments.  Nevertheless,  they  freely 
and  valiantly  gave  up  their  lives,  refusing  to  be  turned  from 
their  allegiance  to  God,  either  by  flattering  promises,  or 
horrible  tortures. 

The  mother's  heroism  is  even  more  to  be  admired.  She 
had  most  to  suffer,  for  in  her  heart  she  suffered  all  her 
sons'  tortures.  She  was,  in  fact,  an  eight-fold  martyr,  for 
she  shared  in  the  sufferings  of  each  of  her  sons,  and  finally 
offered  up  her  own  life.  In  truth,  the  courage  of  the  most 
valiant  of  soldiers  cannot  be  compared  with  the  heroism  of 
this  woman ! 

What  gives  fortitude?  What  made  this  mother  and  her 
sons  so  heroically  resolved  to  give  up  their  lives  for  God's 
sake  ?   What  enabled  them  to  endure  such  horrible  tortures  ? 

1.  Their  firm  faith  in  God  and  His  revelation.  They 
believed  and  confessed  that 

a)  God  is  the  Almighty  Lord  and  Creator  of  the  world: 
"These  hands  I  have  from  heaven" — "The  King  of  this 
world  will  raise  us  up" — "God  made  all  these  things  out 
of  nothing." 


422  CHAPTER  LXXXTV. 

b)  That  God  is  just,  rewarding  the  good  and  punishing  the 
wicked:  "We  suffer  thus  for  our  sins" — "Thou,  0  most  wicked 
of  men,  shalt  not  escape  the  judgment  of  Almighty  God" — 
"Receive  death,  that  in  that  mercy  I  may  receive  thee  again." 

c)  That  there  is  an  eternal  life,  a  resurrection  of  the 
body,  and  a  meeting  again  in  another  world:  "The  King  of 
this  world  will  raise  us  up  in  the  resurrection  of  eternal 
life" — "These  hands  I  have  from  heaven  ...  I  hope  to 
receive  them  again  from  Him" — "That  I  may  receive  thee 
again  with  thy  brethren."  They  raised  their  eyes  beyond 
the  perishable  things  of  this  earth,  to  those  things  which 
are  heavenly  and  eternal ;  and  they  looked  to  being  rewarded 
by  God  in  another  world.  They  gave  up  their  earthly  life, 
in  order  to  gain  eternal  life. 

From  their  firm  faith  proceeded  a  great  fear  and  love  of 
God:  "We  are  ready  to  die  rather  than  transgress  the  laws 
of  God." 

2.  Because  they  believed  in  the  promises  of  God,  tlieij 
believed  in  the  future  Redeemer ;  and,  on  account  of  this  faith, 
God  assisted  them  by  His  grace,  without  which  no  one  can 
keep  the  commandments. 

Unlawful  obedience.  The  example  of  these  holy  martyrs 
teaches  us  that  we  must  not  obey  our  superiors  when  they 
command  us  to  do  anything  which  God  has  forbidden,  or 
when  they  forbid  anything  which  God  has  commanded.  In 
such  cases  we  must  say,  as  did  the  Machabee  brothers: 
"The  law  of  God  forbids  it;  we  will  not  do  it." 

The  commandment  of  abstinence.  The  seven  Machabees 
died  martyrs  for  obedience  to  God's  commandments.  They 
preferred  to  suffer  the  most  cruel  tortures  rather  than 
transgress  the  commandment  not  to  touch  swine's  flesh. 
Jesus  Christ,  through  his  Church,  has  given  us  a  similar  law 
in  the  Third  Commandment  of  the  Church. 

The  duty  of  parents  in  the  education  of  their  children.  Parents 
should  learn  from  the  mother  of  the  Machabees  to  bring  up  their 
children  in  the  fear  and  love  of  God,  and  to  care  for  their  souls 
more  than  for  anything  else,  so  that  they  may  look  to  meeting  them 
again  in  eternal  life.  "What  doth  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the 
whole  world  and  suffer  the  loss  of  his  own  soul!" 


VALIANT  EXPLOITS  OF  JUDAS  MACHABEUS.  423 

Commemoration  of  the  holy  Machabees.  The  Church  commemorates 
these  martyrs  on  August  1th :  "For,"  says  St.  Gregory  Nazianzen,"  what 
would  not  these  men,  who  suffered  martyrdom  before  Christ  suffered, 
have  endured  if  they  had  been  called  to  suffer  persecution  after  His 
Incarnation,  and  had  present  before  their  eyes  the  Death  which  He 
suffered  for  our  salvation !  Yes,  I  think  I  may  assume  in  union  with 
all  friends  of  God,  that  there  was  a  certain  mysterious  communion 
between  the  martyrs  of  the  Old  Testament  and  Jesus  Christ,  without 
belief  in  Whom  none  of  those  martyrs  before  the  Incarnation  could 
have  attained  to  such  a  glorious  end." 

III.  Application. 

Put  yourself  in  the  place  of  the  youngest  brother,  and 
imagine  the  king  speaking  to  you,  making  you  splendid 
promises  on  the  one  hand,  and,  on  the  other,  threatening 
you  with  death  by  torture.  Would  you  remain  firm,  and 
suffer  a  lingering  martyrdom  rather  than  offend  God  by 
committing  a  grievous  sin?  "We  will  rather  die  than 
transgress  God's  law"  had  been  the  maxim  of  these  brothers' 
lives  from  their  earliest  youth,  so  that,  when  they  found 
themselves  assailed  by  a  severe  temptation,  they  remained 
firm.  Let  the  same  maxim  be  stamped  on  your  heart! 
Abide  by  this  principle  in  little  things,  and  then,  by  God's 
grace,  you  will  stand  firm  in  the  hour  of  trial.  "Lead  us 
not  into  temptation!" 

Chapter  LXXXV. 

VALIANT  EXPLOITS  OF  JUDAS  MACHABEUS  (160  B.  C). 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

T  the  time  when  Antiochus  was  thus  cruelly  persecuting 


A 


the  Jews,  there  was  in  Judea  a  priest  named  Matha- 
thias  *,  who  had  five  sons.  This  zealous  priest,  having  learnt 
that  Antiochus  had  profaned  the  Temple,  and  nearly  destroyed 
the  worship  of  the  true  God,  was  filled  with  the  deepest 
sorrow.  He  knew  that  the  wicked  king  would  soon  succeed 
in  his  impious  designs,  if  the  Jews  did  not  offer  a  vigorous 
resistance. 

He,  therefore,  called  upon   all  who  had  any  zeal  for  the 
laws  of  God  to  rise  up  with  him,  in  defence  of  their  sacred 


424  CHAPTER  LXXXV. 

rights.  Then  he  and  his  sons  fled  to  the  mountains  where 
they  were  soon  joined  by  the  valiant  men  of  Israel,  and 
quickly  formed  a  powerful  army.  They  destroyed  the  altars 2 
of  the  false  gods,  bravely  defended  the  law  of  the  Lord, 
and  compelled  the  apostate  Jews  to  leave  the  country. 

After  the  death  of  Mathathias B,  Judas,  surnamed  Machabeus, 
or  the  Hammerer4,  on  account  of  his  invincible  courage  and 
great  valour,  assumed  the  command  of  the  Jewish  army. 
In  battle  he  showed  himself  brave  as  a  lion— had  several 
engagements  with  the  Syrian  generals,  and  recovered  Jeru- 
salem and  the  Temple.  With  a  sorrowful  heart  he  saw  the 
Temple  in  its  desecrated  and  desolate  state,  the  altar  profaned, 
and  the  grass  growing  in  the  deserted  courts. 

He  then  purified  the  Temple5,  celebrated  his  victory  by 
a  grand  festival,  and  dedicated  the  altar  anew,  with  the 
sound  of  harps,  and  lutes,  and  cymbals,  and  hymns  of  joy 
in  the  sight  of  the  wondering  multitude. 

1  The  severe  test  of  conscience  put  by  Antiochus  forced  the  faithful 
Jews  into  resistance.  The  priest  Mathathias  and  his  sons  placed  them- 
selves at  the  head  of  those  who  were  resolved  to  fight  for  their  religion. 

—  2  which  Antiochus  had  set  up  all  over  the  country.  —  3  1G6  B.  C. 

—  4  because  he  overcame,  or  so  to  speak,  hammered  down  the  enemies 
of  the  Jews.  —  5  It  had  been  polluted,  made  desolate  and  desecrated 
by  the  erecting  in  it  of  altars  to  the  false  gods  (Chapt.  LXXXIII). 
The  purification  consisted  in  the  removing  of  everything  unholy  and 
pagan  which  had  served  for  the  worship  of  false  gods. 

Antiochus,  hearing  of  the  splendid  victories  of  Judas 
Machabeus,  was  roused  to  fury,  and,  hastening  to  assume  the 
command  of  his  army,  set  out  at  once  for  Jerusalem 6.  But 
driving  at  full  speed  in  his  war-chariot,  he  was  thrown  to 
the  ground  and  grievously  wounded7.  Soon  worms  came 
forth  from  the  body  of  that  impious  king;  the  flesh  rotted 
6n  his  bones,  and  he  became  an  object  of  horror  and  disgust, 
so  that  no  one  could  approach  him.  He  who  so  lately 
thought  that  the  very  stars  of  heaven  should  obey  him, 
was  deserted  even  by  his  slaves. 

Then,  seeing  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  his  pride,  he 
began  to  humble  himself  before  the  Lord8,  promising  to 
repair   all   the  evil  he  had  done9  and  to  proclaim  through- 


VALIANT  EXPLOITS  OF  JUDAS  MACHABEUS. 


425 


out  the  whole  earth  that  there  was  no  god  but  the  great 
God  Whom  the  Jews  adored.  But,  inasmuch  as  his  repentance 
proceeded  only  from  the  fear  of  death,  and  the  dread  of 
temporal  punishment,  it  was  of  no  avail  before  God.  His 
sufferings  continued  unabated,  and  at  last  the  wicked  king, 
the  blasphemer  of  God,  the  oppressor  of  His  people,  died 
in  torment,  the  death  of  a  reprobate10. 

6  It  was  after  he  had  suffered  a  defeat  in  Persia,  that  he  learnt 
that  the  Jews  had  gathered  together  to  fight  for  the  exercise  of  their 
religion.  He  determined  to  vent  the  anger  he  felt  at  his  defeat  in 
Persia  on  the  little  Jewish  state.  He  intended  to  attack  Jerusalem 
and  "make  it  a  common  burying  place  of  the  Jews"  i.  e.  destroy 
the  city  and  bury  its  inhabitants  under  its  ruins.  —  7  so  that  he  had 
to  be  carried  in  a  litter,  and  could  advance  but  slowly.  —  8  Holy 
Scripture  says  (2  Mach.  9,  12):  "When  he  could  not  abide  his  own 
stench,  he  spoke  thus:  'It  is  just  to  be  subject  to  God,  and  that  a 
mortal  man  should  not  equal  himself  to  God.'"  His  pride  had  been 
so  great  that  he  would  acknowledge  no  God,  and,  out  of  hatred  for 
Him,  inhumanly  oppressed  His  people.  —  9  He  promised  to  guarantee 
freedom  of  worship  to  the  Jews;  even  to  become  a  Jew  himself,  and 


426  CHAPTER  LXXXV. 

wander  through  the  world  proclaiming  God's  power  (2  Mach.  9,  17). 
He  promised  a  great  deal,  as  is  the  way  with  those  whose  word  is 
not  to  be  depended  on ;  but  God,  Who  sees  the  heart,  would  not  hearken 
to  him.  because  his  promises  were  not  sincere,  and  because  God 
foreknew  that  he  would  not  keep  them.  —  10  The  punishment  foretold 
to  their  cruel  persecutor  by  the  Machabee  brothers  had  not  failed  to 
overtake  him.  In  the  story  as  narrated  in  last  chapter,  only  the 
threat  of  the  youngest  brother  is  related;  but  the  fourth,  fifth  and 
sixth  brothers  had  also  foretold  the  judgments  of  God.  The  fourth 
brother  had  said:  "As  to  thee,  thou  shalt  have  no  resurrection  to 
life."  The  fifth  had  said:  "Thou  shalt  see  God's  great  power,  in  what 
manner  He  will  torment  thee  and  thy  seed."  And  the  sixth,  when 
dying,  had  cried  out:  "Do  not  think  that  thou  shalt  escape  punishment, 
for  that  thou  hast  attempted  to  fight  against  God." 

The  son  and  successor  of  Antiochus  sent  his  ablest  generals, 
with  mighty  armies  n,  to  take  Judea  and  Jerusalem  again. 
Judas  Machabeus  and  his  small  army,  seeing  the  hosts 12 
that  were  marching  against  him,  had  recourse  to  God  in 
humble  prayer.  Then  they  took  up  their  arms  and  advanced 
to  meet  the  enemy,  trusting  in  God  alone. 

In  the  midst  of  the  combat  five  horsemen13,  in  shining 
armour,  were  seen  by  the  enemy  in  the  air  above,  fighting 
for  the  Jews.  Two  of  these  heavenly  warriors  were  with 
Judas  Machabeus,  as  it  were  shielding  him  from  danger, 
while  the  other  three  cast  darts  from  on  high  against  the 
Syrian  host14.  Seeing  this  strange  sight  the  enemy  were 
seized  with  terror,  and  fled  in  confusion,  leaving  thirty 
thousand  of  their  number  dead  on  the  field. 

Thus  favoured  by  divine  assistance,  Judas  Machabeus  de- 
feated the  Syrians  in  many  other  bloody  engagements.  But 
it  happened  in  one  of  these  that  some  of  the  Jews  were 
slain,  and  on  the  following  day,  when  Judas  and  his  soldiers 
came  to  bury  them,  they  found  under  their  tunics  certain 
heathen  charms,  or  amulets,  which  it  was  not  allowable 
even  to  touch. 

It  became  manifest  to  all  that  it  was  because  of  the 
amulets,  that  these  men  had  been  killed  15 ;  and,  praising  the 
justice  of  God,  they  besought  Him  to  pardon  the  sins  of 
the  unhappy  dead.  But  Judas  collected  a  sum  of  twelve 
thousand   drachms   of  silver,   and   sent  it  to  Jerusalem  to 


VALIANT  EXPLOITS  OF  JUDAS  MACHABEUS.  427 


have  sacrifices  offered  for  his  soldiers  who  had  thus  fallen 
in  battle.  "It  is,  therefore,"  says  the  Scripture,  "a  holy  and 
a  wholesome  thought  to  pray  for  the  dead,  that  they  may 
be  loosed  from  their  sins". 

11  The  Syrian  kings  had  allied  themselves  to  several  neighbouring 
people,  namely  the  Edomites  or  Idumaeans,  who  had  taken  possession 
of  the  southern  portion  of  Judea;  the  Ammonites  on  the  east,  who 
had  increased  in  power  since  the  fall  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel;  and 
the  Arabs  on  the  south-east.  —  12  gathered  together  by  the  Ammonite 
general  Timotheus  (2  Mach.  10,  24) :  "Timotheus  having  called  together 
a  multitude  of  foreign  troops,  and  assembled  horsemen  out  of  Asia". 
Before  Judas  and  his  soldiers  went  to  meet  the  Greek  army,  they, 
clothed  in  sackcloth,  threw  themselves  down  before  the  altar  of  the 
Lord  and  prayed  for  help  (2  Mach.  10,  25  &c).  —  13  angels  in  the 
form  of  horsemen.  —  14  These  were  so  dazzled  and  terrified  that 
they  took  to  flight.  More  than  20,000  men  were  killed.  —  15  They 
had  kept  back  from  the  booty  some  charms  of  the  false  gods,  though 
the  law  (Deut.  7,  25)  commanded  the  destruction  of  every  thing  that 
had  served  for  the  worship  of  idols. 

Before  one  of  the  many  battles  which  Judas  fought,  he 
had  a  vision.  He  saw  the  deceased  High  Priest,  Onias 16, 
holding  up   his  hands,  and   praying   for  the  Jewish   people. 


428  CHAPTER  LXXXV. 

After  this  another  man  appeared,  surrounded  with  great 
glory.  Onias  said:  "This  is  he  that  prayeth  much  for  the 
people,  and  for  all  the  holy  city,  Jeremias,  the  prophet  of 
God."  Then  Jeremias  gave  Judas  a  sword  of  gold,  saying: 
"Take  this  holy  sword,  a  gift  from  God,  wherewith  thou 
shalt  overcome  the  adversaries  of  My  people  Israel." 

Judas,  encouraged  by  these  heavenly  favours,  gained  many 
battles.  At  last  it  happened  that  he  engaged  the  enemy 
with  very  unequal  numbers 17.  In  this  battle  he  was  vanquished 
and  slain18.  Then  all  the  people  mourned  him  for  many 
days,  saying:  "How  is  the  mighty  man  fallen  that  saved 
the  people  of  Israel!"  That  Judas  sent  money  to  Jerusalem, 
wherewith  sacrifices  might  be  offered  for  the  repose  of  the 
dead,  is  a  sign  that  the  Jews  also  believed  in  purgatory. 
For,  if  the  prayers  of  the  living  brought  no  relief  to  the 
dead,  neither  would  Judas  have  collected  money  for  sacrifices, 
nor  would  the  priests  have  accepted  it  for  that  purpose. 
Besides,  we  learn  from  this  chapter  of  the  Bible  that  the 
saints  pray  for  their  friends  on  earth,  and  that  their  prayers 
are  heard. 

16  This  faithful  servant  of  God  had  been  killed  by  an  assassin, 
170  B.  C.  Judas  had  personally  known  the  zealous  High  Priest.  — 
17  Bacchides,  the  Syrian  general,  was  at  the  head  of  an  army  of 
25,000  men,  which  Judas  opposed  with  only  800.  His  followers  urged 
him  to  retreat,  but  he  replied:  "God  forbid  we  should  do  this  thing 
and  flee  away  from  them.  But  if  our  time  (i.  e.  the  hour  of  our 
death)  be  come,  let  us  die  manfully  for  our  brethren,  and  let  us  not 
stain  our  glory."  —  18  He  died  for  the  cause  of  liberty  and  the  free 
exercise  of  religion. 

II.  Commentary. 

The  Justice  of  God  is  very  clearly  revealed  in  the  account 
of  the  death  of  Antiochus.  The  wicked  king  had  deliberately 
prepared  tortures  for  the  Jewish  martyrs,  and  now  he  himself 
was  slowly  tortured  to  death.  His  body  while  still  alive 
became  corrupt,  and  he  was  unbearable  both  to  himself  and 
to  those  about  him.  In  his  arrogance  he  had  despised  God 
and  forbidden  His  worship ;  now  he  had  to  bow  down  under 
the  hand  of  the  Almighty,  and  acknowledge  that  his  terrible 
sufferings  were  but  the  just  punishment  of  his  pride  and 


VALIANT  EXPLOITS  OF  JUDAS  MACHABEUS.  429 

cruelty  to  God's  servants.  He  even  prayed  and  made  vows 
to  God,  knowing  that  it  was  only  from  Him  that  help 
could  come;  but  his  prayer  was  not  heard,  and  he  died  a 
miserable  death,  in  unendurable  agony.  Contemplate  the  once 
proud  king  on  his  death-bed.  His  flatterers  have  forsaken 
him;  his  servants  cannot  endure  to  be  near  him.  Day  and 
night  he  is  tormented;  day  and  night  he  complains  and 
laments — but  there  is  no  help  for  him!  In  the  days  of  his 
health  he  had  tormented  many,  and  now,  he  himself  is 
tormented  by  bodily  pain  and  remorse  of  conscience,  "and 
indeed  very  justly,  seeing  he  had  tormented  the  bowels  of 
others  with  many  and  new  torments".  Let  this  story  teach 
you  to  know  and  fear  the  justice  of  God.  "It  is  a  fearful 
thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God"  (Hebr.  10,  31). 
Another  instance  of  God's  justice  is  given  in  the  death  of 
the  Jewish  soldiers.  Judas  Machabeus  was  convinced  that 
the  reason  of  their  death  lay  in  their  secreting  the  idolatrous 
amulets ;  for  he  believed  that  God,  on  account  of  their  sin, 
had  withdrawn  His  protection  from  them,  and  punished  them 
by  death. 

Repentance  must  be  supernatural.  Why  did  not  Antiochus 
obtain  mercy?  Because  he  was  not  truly  penitent.  It  is 
true  that  he  did  repent  of  his  offences  against  God's  people, 
but  his  repentance  was  natural,  not  supernatural,  and  sprang 
not  from  fear  or  love  of  God,  but  from  horror  of  his  temporal 
punishment  (i.  e.  his  fearful  disease),  and  from  terror  of 
approaching  death.  He  wished  to  be  well  again,  and  to  live 
and  reign  longer ;  this  was  the  only  reason  why  he  repented 
of  his  cruelty.  Such  is  not  supernatural  repentance.  It  is 
true  that  he  also  made  good  resolutions,  but  these  were  of  no 
value  in  the  sight  of  God,  for  they  were  as  little  supernatural 
as  his  repentance.  It  is  only  supernatural  repentance,  and 
supernatural  purposes  of  amendment  which  make  a  man 
truly  penitent ;  and,  not  possessing  these,  Antiochus  failed  to 
obtain  pardon,  and  died  impenitent.  As  he  lived,  so  he  died. 
"The  death  of  the  wicked  is  very  evil"  (Ps.  33,  22). 

Deathbed-conversions.    For   the   same    reasons   that   the  conversion 
of  Antiochus  was  not   real  or  sincere,  most  deathbed-conversions  are 


430  CHAPTER  LXXXV. 

very  doubtful  and  untrustworthy,  since,  as  a  rule,  they  do  not  proceed 
from  supernatural  motives,  but  only  from  fear  of  death.  Therefore, 
sinners  should  never  put  off  repentance  till  they  are  near  death; 
because,  firstly,  they  might  be  called  away  suddenly  without  any 
preparatory  illness ;  and,  secondly,  it  is  very  difficult  for  a  sinner  to  be 
sincerely  converted  on  his  deathbed  after  a  long  life  spent  in  resisting 
grace,  and  heaping  sin  upon  sin.  "Delay  not  to  be  converted  to  the  Lord, 
and  defer  it  not  from  day  to  day.  For  His  wrath  shall  come  on  a  sudden, 
and  in  the  time  of  vengeance  He  will  destroy  thee"  (Ecclus.  5,  7.  8). 

The  immortality  of  the  soul.  Judas  and  his  companions 
believed  that  the  souls  of  those  who  had  died  still  lived, 
and,  therefore,  they  prayed  for  them. 

Purgatory.  The  Machabees  and  their  followers  believed 
that  those  who  fell  were  not  eternally  lost  in  hell,  seeing 
that  they  had  fought  and  died  for  God's  honour.  But,  on 
the  other  hand,  they  did  not  believe  that  their  fallen  brethren 
were  with  the  blessed  in  Limbo,  for  otherwise  their  sin- 
offerings  for  them  would  have  had  no  meaning.  No,  they 
believed :  a)  that  those  who  had  been  slain  were  in  a  middle 
state  between  that  of  the  blessed  and  that  of  the  damned; 

b)  that  they  had  to   make   satisfaction   for  venial   sin;  and 

c)  that  the  survivors  could  help  them  by  prayers  and  sacri- 
fices, and  thus  make  satisfaction  for  them  to  the  divine 
justice,  so  that  they  might  be  delivered  from  their  present 
state.  Holy  Scripture  testifies  that  this  belief  is  a  correct 
one,  since  it  praises  Judas  for  offering  up  these  prayers  and 
sacrifices,  saying  explicitly:  "It  is  a  holy  and  wholesome 
thought  to  pray  for  the  dead."  This  completely  corrobo- 
rates the  Catholic  doctrine  of  purgatory,  and  of  prayers  for 
the  dead. 

Prayers  for  the  dead.  It  is  a  "holy"  thought  to  pray  for 
the  dead,  because  it  proceeds  from  a  living  faith  and  a  sincere 
brotherly  love.  It  is  also  a  "  wholesome  "  thought,  for  these 
prayers  help  the  holy  souls  as  well  as  ourselves.  They 
procure  for  them  admission  to  heaven,  and  they  increase 
our  merits. and,  moreover,  bind  the  delivered  souls,  out  of 
gratitude,  to  intercede  for  us  before  the  throne  of  God. 
This  leads  us  on  to  another  Catholic  doctrine,  also  confirmed 
by  this  story,  namely: 


VALIANT  EXPLOITS  OF  JUDAS  MACHABEUS.  431 

The  intercession  of  the  saints.  In  Judas's  vision  not  only 
did  Onias  pray  for  the  Jews,  but  he  said  that  Jeremias  also 
prayed  for  them  ("This  is  he  that  prayeth  much  for  the 
people,  and  for  all  the  holy  city,  Jeremias,  the  prophet  of 
God").  The  saints,  therefore,  know  about  us  and  care  for 
us,  for  our  sufferings,  struggles  and  necessities;  and  seek 
to  help  us  by  their  intercession.  Jeremias  appeared  as  the 
special  guardian  and  patron  of  Jerusalem.  In  the  same  way 
we  believe  that  those  saints  who  have  been  chosen,  and 
devoutly  venerated,  as  the  special  patrons  of  individual 
Christians,  or  of  churches,  villages,  towns,  parishes  or  estates, 
intercede  especially  for  those  who  have  been  committed  to 
their  care. 

The  virtues  of  the  Machabees.  Mathathias  and  his  sons 
fought  a  noble  fight.  They  did  not  take  up  arms  out  of 
ambition  or  thirst  for  renown,  but  simply  out  of  holy  zeal 
for  God's  honour,  for  liberty  of  conscience  and  the  welfare 
of  their  country.  They  said:  "It  is  better  for  us  to  die  in 
battle,  than  to  see  the  evils  of  our  nation  and  of  the  holies." 
They  were  ready  to  bleed  and  die  for  God  and  for  their 
country.  They  carried  on  the  war  with  heroic  courage  and 
endurance,  and  their  heroism  proceeded  from  their  unshaken 
confidence  in  God.  They  fought  not  only  for  God,  but  with 
Him.  They  knew  that  they  could  not  overcome  without  His 
help,  so  before  the  battle,  and  in  the  battle,  they  called  on 
Him,  and  after  the  battle,  they  humbly  gave  Him  the  glory, 
and  thanked  Him  who  had  given  them  the  victory. 

The  power  of  prayer.  The  wonderful  assistance  which 
was  so  repeatedly  granted  to  Judas,  shows  us  the  power  of 
fervent  and  trustful  prayer,  and  should  encourage  us  to  turn 
to  God  in  all  our  necessities.  Almighty  God  gave  the  victory 
to  the  faithful  Jews,  because  "  they  fought  with  their  hands, 
and  prayed  in  their  hearts."  0 

The  soldiers  of  Christ.  We  all  have  a  holy  war  to  wage  for  God's 
glory  and  the  salvation  of  our  souls,  namely,  the  war  against  our 
own  passions  and  inclinations,  as  also  against  temptations  from  without, 
from  unbelieving  and  wicked  men,  and  from  the  evil  spirits.  In  this 
war  our  weapons  are  the  sword  of  God's  word,  the  shield  of  faith, 
and  the  lance  of  prayer.   Our  companions  in  arms  are  our  holy  guardian 


432  CHAPTER  LXXXVI. 

angels  who  invisibly  help  us  during  the  strife  in  the  same  way  that 
they  visibly  helped  Judas.  We  are  consecrated  to,  and  strengthened 
for  this  war  by  the  Sacrament  of  Confirmation. 

III.  Application. 

Of  what  kind  is  your  repentance  and  your  purpose  of 
amendment?  Have  you  always  carried  out  your  good  re- 
solutions ?  In  order  to  have  a  hatred  of  sin  you  ought  every 
evening  to  try  to  excite  in  yourself  a  feeling  of  contrition. 

Do  you  properly  venerate  your  guardian  angel  and  your 
patron  saint?  Have  you  read  your  saint's  life?  Do  you 
commend  yourself  every  day  to  his  care,  and  try  to  imitate 
his  virtues? 

Do  you  pray  diligently  for  the  dead,  especially  for  your 
relations  and  benefactors?  Never  neglect  to  do  this,  for  it 
is  a  duty  of  love,  and  obtains  merit  for  yourself.  Especially, 
remember  the  holy  souls  at  Mass,  after  the  Elevation.  If 
even  the  sacrifices  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  were  only 
shadows  and  types,  could  help  the  dead,  how  much  greater 
must  be  the  help  which  is  afforded  to  them  by  the  Most 
Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  New  Testament. 

Chapter  LXXXVI. 
THE  LAST  TIMES  BEFORE  CHRIST. 
I.  Narrative  and  Explanation. 

AFTER  the  death  of  Judas  Machabeus,  his  brothers, 
Jonathan  and  Simon,  successively  placed  themselves  at 
the  head  of  the  Jewish  people1,  and  performed  wonderful 
exploits.  Their  successors,  however,  fell  away  from  God,  and 
brought  the  people,  always  unsteady  and  prone  to  evil,  into 
a  multitude  of  sins  and  vices.  They,  indeed,  still  worshipped 
the  true  God2,  but  it  was  only  with  their  lips,  and  their 
hearts  were  far  from  Him3. 

Their  chief  care  consisted  in  the  outward  observance  of 
the  law;  the  inward  disposition  and  purity  of  heart  they 
neglected.  Whatever  good  there  might  be  among  the  Jews 
was  stifled  by  the  sect  of  the  hypocritical  Pharisees,  or  of 
the   unbelieving  Sadducees,   and   these   two   sects,   although 


THE  LAST  TIMES  BEFORE  CHRIST.  433 

mortal  enemies  of  each  other4,  exercised  a  great  power 
over  the  people.  Throughout  the  rest  of  the  world  idolatry- 
reigned  supreme,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  sunk 
in  misery  and  corruption5. 

1  Jonathan  was  treacherously  murdered  by  the  Syrians,  143  B.  C. 
After  his  death  his  brother  Simon  was  chosen  to  be  both  High  Priest 
and  leader  of  the  people.  He  succeeded  in  entirely  freeing  the  Jewish 
state  from  the  dominion  of  the  Syrian  king,  Demetrius,  142  B.  C. 
Out  of  gratitude,  the  Jews  made  the  dignities  of  prince  and  High 
Priest  hereditary  in  the  family  of  Simon.  —  2  They  had  done  so  ever 
since  the  return  from  the  captivity,  and  had  been  further  confirmed 
in  the  true  worship  since  the  days  of  Judas  Machabeus.  —  3  They 
had  no  fear  or  love  of  God  in  their  hearts.  In  consequence,  immorality 
gained  such  ground,  that  a  Jewish  writer,  Josephus  Flavius,  has  called 
Jerusalem  a  second  Sodom.  —  4  The  Pharisees  introduced  many  human 
doctrines  and  precepts,  and  attached  almost  more  importance  to  these 
than  to  the  law  of  God.  They  sought  justice  in  such  outward  observances 
as  the  washing  of  hands  and  of  vessels,  and  the  repetition  of  prayers, 
and  they  neglected  purity  of  heart.  They  were,  for  the  most  part,  full 
of  pride,  avarice,  envy  and  hypocrisy.  The  Sadducees  were  freethinkers 
and  materialists.  They  did  not  believe  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul 
or  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  so  that  they  had  no  thought  of 
eternal  life,  but  sought  their  heaven  in  this  world.  They  led  a  bad 
and  dissolute  life,  having  no  fear  of  God.  This  sect  found  most  of  its 
adherents  among  the  rich  (see  "The  rich  man"  New  Test.  XL VI). 
—  6  Pagan  Rome  had  by  degrees  subjected  to  her  rule  nearly  all 
the  then  known  world,  so  that  the  nations  of  the  world  formed  one 
vast  empire,  of  which  Rome  was  the  capital,  and  the  Roman  emperor 
the  sovereign.  At  the  time  of  our  Lord's  Incarnation  all  manner  of 
idolatry,  unbelief,  superstition,  and  an  unbounded  immorality  reigned 
throughout  this  pagan  empire.  Rome  alone  possessed  30,000  deities 
many  of  whom  were  honoured  solely  on  account  of  their  immorality. 
The  largest  portion  of  the  population  groaned  in  a  miserable  state 
of  slavery.  Corruption  was  so  universal  that  all  thinking  men  felt 
there  was  no  deliverance  from  it  possible,  unless  help  were  sent 
from  heaven. 

The  few  just  men  who  were  scattered  here  and  there 
among  the  different  races  of  men 6,  sighed  for  the  coming 
of  the  promised  Redeemer,  the  only  hope  of  fallen  man. 
They  prayed  that  the  clouds  might  rain  down  the  Just  One, 
and  that  the  earth  might  bud  forth  the  Saviour. 

All  was  in  readiness  for  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  which 
event,  according  to  signs  and  prophecies,  must  be  near  at  hand. 

Knecht,  Commentary.    I.  19 


434  CHAPTER  LXXXVI. 

Four  hundred  years  before  the  Birth  of  Christ,  Malachias, 
the  last  of  the  prophets,  could  not  restrain  his  joy  at  the 
near  approach  of  the  Messias.  He  told  the  Jewish  priests 
that  the  Temple  should  soon  be  closed  for  ever,  and  the 
fires  on  their  altars  extinguished,  for  that  their  offerings 
had  ceased  to  be  pleasing  to  the  Lord  of  Hosts.  He  said: 
"I  have  no  pleasure  in  you,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  and 
I  will  not  receive  a  gift  of  your  hand.  For  from  the  rising 
of  the  sun  even  to  the  going  down,  My  name  is  great  among 
the  gentiles,  and  in  every  place  there  is  sacrifice,  and  there 
is  offered  to  My  name  a  clean  oblation.  For  My  name  is 
great  among  the  gentiles,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts."  The 
clean  oblation  of  which  the  prophet  Malachias  speaks,  is 
the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  which  is  offered  every  day 
and  in  many  places,  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  going 
down  thereof7. 

6  By  means  of  the  captivity  of  Babylon  many  Jewish  colonies  had 
been  formed  in  the  midst  of  the  pagans,  which  continued  to  exist  in 
the  Christian  era.  After  the  division  of  the  empire  of  Alexander  the 
Great  these  colonies  spread  themselves  into  Egypt,  Asia  Minor  and 
Greece,  and  by  force  of  the  Jewish  spirit  of  commercial  enterprise 
gradually  extended  themselves  over  the  whole  Roman  empire,  as  far 
as  Spain  and  the  south  of  France.  There  was  a  very  large  colony 
of  Jews  at  Rome  at  the  time  of  the  Incarnation,  for  we  hear  of  the 
emperor  Augustus  receiving  a  deputation  of  eight  thousand  of  them. 
Wherever  they  settled  down,  these  Jews  built  synagogues  and  houses 
of  prayer,  and  through  them  the  pagans  got  to  know  the  Unseen  and 
Living  God,  and  the  prophecies  about  the  Messias ;  and  many  of  them 
even  adopted  the  Jewish  religion.  —  7  See  Commentary,  Chapt.  LXXXII. 

Nothing  remained  to  be  accomplished  save  the  prophecy  of 
Jacob  to  his  son  Juda 8.  This  last  sign  was  not  delayed.  The 
Jewish  people,  torn  and  weakened  by  continual  dissensions 
among  themselves,  called  in  the  Romans  to  decide  their 
quarrels,  and  the  Romans,  a  great  and  powerful  nation, 
settled  the  dispute  by  taking  possession  of  all  Judea9,  and 
placing  on  its  throne  Herod,  a  stranger 10,  a  satellite  of  the 
Roman  emperor  n.  Thus  was  the  sceptre  of  Juda  broken 12, 
and  that  event  ushered  in  the  Redeemer  of  the  world13. 
Herod  reigned  in  Judea  when  the  Messias,  so  long  promised, 


THE  LAST  TIMES  BEFORE  CHRIST.  435 

appeared   on  earth  in  human  form,  even  Christ  the  Lord, 
to  Whom  be  honour  and  glory  for  ever  and  ever. 

8  See  Chapt.  XXVII.  —  9  Under  the  general  Pompey.  —  10  an 
Idumaean.  —  u  To  assure  himself  of  the  government,  Herod  slew 
all  the  descendants  of  the  Machabees,  among  others  his  own  wife 
Mariamne,  and  the  two  sons  whom  he  had  had  by  her.  Moreover,  he 
oppressed  the  Jews  with  heavy  taxes.  —  12  Though  the  Jews  had  a 
ruler,  he  was  a  foreigner,  and  therefore  the  time  had  now  come 
for  the  Advent  of  the  Saviour,  the  "Expected  of  all  nations".  — 
13  The  prophet  Isaias  thus  expressed  the  longing  of  Israel  for  the 
Redeemer:  "Drop  down  dew,  ye  heavens,  from  above,  and  let  the 
clouds  rain  the  Just;  let  the  earth  be  opened,  and  bud  forth  a  Saviour", 
i.  e.  "as  the  dew  falls  from  heaven,  so  may  the  Most  Just  (the 
Redeemer)  descend  from  heaven ;  and  as  the  earth  brings  forth  plants, 
so  in  like  manner  may  the  Saviour  be  brought  forth".  The  hope  and 
longing  for  the  Redeemer  was  expressed  by  the  Jews  in  the  daily 
prayers  recited  in  the  synagogues,  in  which  was  to  be  found  the 
following  petition:  "Build  up  Jerusalem  for  ever,  and  raise  up  David's 
throne  in  the  midst.  Let  the  seed  of  David,  Thy  servant,  bud  forth 
speedily,  for  we  hope  continuously  for  Thy  redemption."  We  can  see 
in  the  case  of  Simeon,  Anna,  and  those  like  them  (New  Test.  VII), 
how  very  keen  had  become  the  expectation  of  the  Messias  in  the 
fulness  of  time.  The  conjecture  of  the  Jews  that  John  the  Baptist 
might  be  the  Messias  (New  Test.  XI)  points  in  the  same  direction, 
as  also  do  the  words  of  the  woman  of  Samaria  at  Jacob's  well 
(New  Test.  XVI).  We  know,  therefore,  that  the  longing  for  the 
Redeemer  was  very  general  by  the  time  that  He  came.  However, 
only  very  few  of  the  Jews  thought  of  the  Messias  as  being  a  Redeemer 
from  sin,  and  a  bringer  of  grace  and  truth;  they  expected,  rather, 
that  He  would  come  to  deliver  them  from  the  dominion  of  Rome  and 
the  tyranny  of  Herod,  to  set  up  the  earthly  throne  of  David,  enlarge 
the  borders  of  Judea,  and  subject  all  nations  to  her  rule.  Even  the 
influential  Pharisees  regarded  a  more  complete  revelation  of  God  as 
impossible.  That  the  Messias  should  be  a  Saviour  of  all  men,  gentiles 
as  well  as  Jews,  was  an  idea  quite  inconceivable  to  their  narrow- 
minded  selfishness. 

II.  Commentary. 

A  retrospect  by  which  we  can  recognise  God's  wisdom  in 
the  guidance  of  mankind: 

1.  Even  in  Paradise  God  revealed  Himself  to  man,  and 
promised  a  Redeemer.  But  the  greater  number  of  Adam's 
descendants  turned  away  from  God,  and  sank  so  low  that 
their  reason  was  obscured,  and  they  lost  all  power  of  under- 

19* 


436  CHAPTER  LXXXVI. 

standing  even  that  natural  religion  which  was  taught  to  them 
by  visible  creation,  and  the  voice  of  their  own  consciences. 
Nevertheless,  in  all  pagan  religions,  there  were  preserved 
some  remains  of  the  original  revelation,  such  as  the  memory 
of  a  former  and  happier  state,  the  consciousness  of  the  debt 
of  sin  hanging  over  the  human  race,  the  sense  of  the  necessity 
of  reconciliation  with  an  offended  God,  the  dim  expectation 
of  a  Redeemer,  and  of  a  future  and  better  state. 

2.  God  revealed  Himself  supernaturally  to  the  people  of 
Israel,  in  order  to  preserve  in  them  belief  in  the  true  God 
and  in  the  future  Redeemer,  and  through  them  to  spread 
abroad  this  belief  among  the  gentiles.  However,  the  inclination 
towards  idolatry  was  so  strong  in  the  chosen  people  that 
it  was  many  centuries  before  God,  by  repeated  revelations 
and  visitations,  could  wean  them  from  it.  Man  is  very  ready 
to  make  his  own  god,  that  is,  to  make  out  God  to  be  such 
as  his  own  inclinations  lead  him  to  wish  Him  to  be.  Instead 
of  moulding  his  own  inclinations,  will  and  actions  to  accord 
with  God's  Almighty  will,  he  seeks  to  accommodate  God 
and  His  attributes  to  his  own  desires.  It  was  not  until 
paganism  was  eradicated  from  the  religious  belief  of  the 
Jews,  and  that  the  first,  Old  Testament  revelation  had  become 
an  essential  part  of  their  existence,  that  they  were  ready 
for  a  further  and  more  perfect  revelation.  Then,  and  not 
till  then,  the  world  was  prepared  for  the  coming  of  the 
Only-Begotten  of  the  Father  to  be  its  Redeemer. 

3.  As  time  went  on,  the  promises  concerning  the  Redeemer 
became  more  and  more  explicit.  These  promises  were 
conveyed,  partly  in  prophecies,  partly  by  types.  Let  us  then 
recall  the  prophecies  which  have  been  mentioned:  1.  that 
made  to  Adam  and  Eve  after  the  Fall,  2.  and  3.  made  to 
Abraham,  4.  and  5.  made  through  Jacob,  6.  through  Balaam, 
7.  through  the  dying  Moses,  8.  through  David,  9.  through 
Isaias,  10.  through  Jeremias,  11.  through  Ezechiel,  12.  through 
Daniel,  13.  through  Aggeus,  14.  through  Zacharias,  and 
15.  through  Malachias.  The  people  whom  we  have  studied 
as  types  of  the  Messias,  are:  1.  Adam,  2.  Abel,  3.  Noe, 
4.  Melchisedech,  5.  Isaac,  6.  Joseph,  7.  Job,  8.  Moses,  9.  Josue, 


THE  LAST  TIMES  BEFORE  CHEIST.  437 

10.  Gedeon,  11.  Samson,  12.  David,  13.  Solomon,  14.  Elias, 
and  15.  Jonas.  The  objects  to  which  our  attention  has  been 
directed  as  types,  are:  the  Tree  of  Life;  the  sacrifice  of 
Melchisedech;  the  paschal  lamb;  the  manna;  the  sacrifices 
of  the  Old  Law ;  the  brazen  serpent  &c.  The  prophecy  uttered 
by  Malachias  was  the  last  one  vouchsafed,  because,  from 
that  time  forward,  the  Jews,  being  confirmed  in  their  own 
faith,  were  employed  by  God  to  spread  His  revelation  among 
the  gentiles. 

4.  The  pagan  world  was  on  the  brink  of  an  abyss.  It 
had  learnt  by  its  own  experience  what  man  comes  to,  when 
he  has  forsaken  God.  The  ancient  world  had  made  great 
progress  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  but  it  found  no  satisfaction 
in  them,  because  its  moral  and  social  condition  was  deplorable. 
The  truth,  which  raises  man,  and  delivers  him  from  all 
uncertainty,  was  lacking  to  this  world  which  had  cast  off 
its  God.  Its  best  and  most  learned  men  were  fully  aware 
of  the  folly  of  paganism,  but  this  conviction  only  led  them 
to  doubt  everything ;  as  we  can,  for  example,  see  by  Pilate's 
question:  "What  is  truth?"  This  state  of  doubt  did  not 
help  them  to  arrive  at  truth,  for  truth  can  only  be  found 
in  God.  Moreover,  grace  was  wanting  to  them, — that  grace 
which  enables  man  to  will  and  do  what  is  right,  which  puts 
an  end  to  the  disorders  of  human  nature,  and  brings  peace 
to  the  restless  heart  of  man.  When  the  pagan  world  at 
length  saw  what  was  lacking  to  it,  and  that  no  help  could  come 
to  it  except  from  heaven,  then  it  was  that  God  dispersed 
the  Jews  into  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  by  their  means 
spread  abroad  the  knowledge  of  the  living  and  true  God, 
and  the  hope  of  the  Redeemer.  Thus,  four  thousand  years 
after  the  Fall,  a  large  portion  of  the  pagan  world  had  begun 
to  long  for  the  Saviour  who  was  expected  in  Judea. 

Now,  "when  the  fulness  of  time  was  come,  God  sent 
His  Son  that  we  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons" 
(Gal.  4,  4).  "The  Word  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among 
us,  and  we  saw  His  glory,  the  glory  as  it  were  of 
the  Only-Begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth" 
(John  1,  14). 


438  CHAPTER  LXXXVI. 

The  signification  of  Advent.  This  season  ought  to  make 
us  think  of  the  sad  condition  of  the  world  before  our  Lord's 
Incarnation,  and  prepare  ourselves,  by  penance  and  a  longing 
desire,  for  the  Birth  of  Christ  in  our  hearts. 

The  two  natures  of  the  Redeemer.  The  passage:  "Drop 
down  dew,  ye  heavens,  from  above,  and  let  the  clouds  rain 
the  Just;  let  the  earth  be  opened,  and  bud  forth  a  Saviour", 
which  occurs  in  Isaias  45,  8,  clearly  foretells  the  twofold 
nature  of  God  made  Man.  The  Divine  nature  is  signified 
by  the  prophecy  that  the  Saviour  shall  come  down  from 
heaven  (in  another  passage  Isaias  cries  out:  "0  that  Thou 
wouldst  rend  the  heavens,  and  wouldst  come  down!");  and 
His  Human  nature  is  shown  by  the  prophecy  that  the  earth 
shall  bring  Him  forth.  As  God,  Jesus  Christ  came  down 
from  heaven,  and  took  His  Human  nature  on  earth  in  the 
womb  of  the  Immaculate  Virgin  Mary.  Heaven  and  earth 
worked  together  to  produce  the  God  made  Man,  through 
Whom  earth  has  been  reconciled  to  heaven. 

III.  Application. 

Have  you  a  great  desire  for  the  truth  which  has  been 
revealed  to  us  through  Jesus  Christ?  Do  you  take  great 
pains  to  learn  all  you  can  about  the  true  doctrines  of 
Christianity?  Do  you  take  pleasure  in  your  religious  in- 
struction ? 

Have  you  a  desire  that  Jesus  Christ  should  come  and  reign 
in  your  heart  and  dwell  therein;  or  do  you  look  forward 
to  the  hour  of  your  first  Communion  for  any  less  worthy 
reasons?  When  you  are  hearing  Mass,  make  a  spiritual 
Communion,  and  excite  in  yourself  a  longing  desire  to  receive 
your  Divine  Saviour.  Be  sorry  for  your  sins,  and  pray  our 
Lord  to  come  and  dwell  spiritually  in  your  heart! 


The,  bhu> 


~t£n&  indicates  ihe>foiariwoft7ie'J~sraelite$ 


* 2- 


liny.m  , 


Bfnlp  of  Milos 


B.  HERDER, 

PUBLISHER   TO    THE   HOLY   APOSTOLIC    SEE. 
FREIBURG  IM  BREISGAU  (GERMANY). 


DEHARBE'S 

SMALL  CATECHISM. 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN. 

WITH  33  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

WITH   THE   APPROBATION   AND   RECOMMENDATION  OF   HIS  EXCELLENCY  THE 

DELEGATE  APOSTOLIC  OF  INDIA  AND  OF  THEIR  LORDSHIPS  THE  ARCHBISHOPS 

AND  BISHOPS  OF  AGRA,  CALCUTTA,  CHRISTCHURCH,  COCHIM,  GLASGOW, 

HEXHAM  AND  NEWCASTLE,  KISHNAGUR,  LAHORE,  ST.  LOUIS,  MO., 

MANGALORE  AND  SHREWSBURY. 

16mo-    (VIII  and  66  pp.)    Price:  3d.;  bound,  cloth  back  4d. 


His  Graoe  the  Archbishop  of  Calcutta  writes  on  August  6.  1892: 
"I  have,  with  great  pleasure,  examined  your  new  edition  of  Deharbe's 
Small  Catechism.  I  have  had  it  also  examined  by  an  experienced 
Catechist.  His  opinion  entirely  concurs  with  mine:  This  Catechism  is, 
in  every  respect,  very  good,  theologically  correct,  and  at  the  same 
time  very  simple  and  clear  and  well  adapted  to  the  intelligence  of  young 
children." 

Letter  of  his  Grace  the  Archbishop  of  Glasgow : 

Glasgow,  28.  May  1893. 
Dear  Sir, 

I  thank  you  for  having  sent  me  a  presentation- copy  of  your  English 
translation  of  Fr.  Deharbe's  Small  Catechism.  The  excellence  of  the 
Catechism  will  win  it  a  high  place  amongst  similar  handbooks,  and  the 
admirable  illustrations  must  make  it  a  popular  book  with  the  Teachers 
and  the  Children,  in  the  families  and  in  the  elementary  schools.  I 
shall  be  glad  to  recommend  this  compendium  of  Catholic  truth,  practice, 
and  prayers,  as  opportunities  and  circumstances  permit. 

I  am,  dear  Sir, 

Very  truly  yours 

f  Charles, 

Archbishop  of  Glasgow. 


B.  HERDER, 

PUBLISHER    TO    THE   HOLY    APOSTOLIC    SEE. 
FREIBURG  IM  BREISGAU  (GERMANY). 


On  sale  by  the  principal  booksellers : 

EXPLANATION 

OF  DEHARBE'S 

SMALL  CATECHISM 

by  JAMES  Canon  SCHMITT,  D.  D. 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  7th  GERMAN  EDITION. 

WITH  THE  APPROBATION  AND  RECOMMENDATION  OF  THE  RIGHT  REV.  BISHOP 

OF  SALFORD,  NOW  CARDINAL-ARCHBISHOP  OF  WESTMINSTER,  AND    OF  THEIR 

LORDSHIPS  THE  RIGHT  REV.  BISHOPS  OF  BELLEVILLE,  LEEDS,  POONA, 

PORTSMOUTH,  .ST.  LOUIS,  MO.,  AND  SHREWSBURY. 

8V0.    (VIII  and  290  pp.)     Price:  Cloth  3s.  6d. 

Salford,  May  5.  1891. 
Dear  Sir, 

I  am  glad  to  learn  that  you  are  publishing  an  English  translation 
of  the  "Explanation  of  Deharbe's  admirable  Little  Catechism".  It  is 
a  work,  which  ought  to  become  popular  in  all  our  Catholic  Public 
Elementary  Schools  and  in  our  Confraternities  of  Christian  Doctrine. 

I  trust  that  your  English  Edition,  which  I  hear  has  passed  under 
the  hand  of  competent  teachers  at  Stonyhurst,  will  receive  a  hearty 
welcome  in  this  country.  I  am,  dear  Mr  Herder,  your  faithful  and 
devoted  servant 

f  Herbert,  Bishop  of  Salford. 


Leeds,  March  3.  1894. 

Bishop's  House. 
Dear  Sir, 

I  return  my  best  thanks  for  the  copy  of  Canon  Schmitt's  "  Explanation 

of  Deharbe's  Small  Catechism"  which  you  have  sent  me.     I  have  read 

much  of  it  and  it  seems  to  me   to  be  excellent.     I  shall  recommend   it 

strongly  to   my   clergy  as  well   as    to   all  Teachers   in   our  Elementary 

Schools,  religious  and  secular. 

It  deserves  to  be  popular. 

Believe  me,  dear  Sir, 

Yours  faithfully  in  Christ 

t  William,  Bishop  of  Leeds. 


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